India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been officially reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third day of the Headingley Test against England.
The incident happened in the 61st over of England’s first innings when Harry Brook and Ben Stokes were at the crease. After umpires inspected the ball using a ball gauge and decided against replacing it, Pant showed visible dissent by throwing the ball onto the ground in front of the officials. This act was found to violate Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which pertains to dissent shown at an umpire’s decision.
As a result, Pant received an official reprimand, and one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record. This marks his first offence in the past 24 months. The charge was leveled by on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, and fourth umpire Mike Burns.
Pant accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Richie Richardson from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel, thus avoiding a formal disciplinary hearing.
Level 1 offences are considered the least serious under ICC regulations. They carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum fine of 50% of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.
Meanwhile, the Headingley Test remains delicately balanced, with England requiring 350 runs on the final day with all 10 wickets in hand, setting up an exciting finish.