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Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade has been handed an official reprimand for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. The incident happened during Australia’s match against England at Kensington Oval, Barbados when Wade showed dissent over umpire Nitin Menon’s decision to call it a legitimate delivery bowled by Adil Rashid despite the batter moving away.
“The wicket-keeper batter was found in breach of Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match,” the ICC said in a statement.
“In addition, one demerit point has been added to Wade’s disciplinary record. It was his first offence in a 24-month period,” the statement added.
The charged on Wade was levelled by on-field umpires Menon and Joel Wilson along with third umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madangopal. Wade admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction.
In the 18th over bowled by Rashid, Wade was not ready to face the delivery. He pulled out of it but defended it back to the bowler as it was near him. Umpire Menon felt Wade should not have got bat on it if he wanted it to be adjudged a dead ball. It was followed by a protest by Wade before Menon signalled him to go back to the crease. After Wade took a single, he had another argument with the umpire.
Wade gets backing from teammates
Wade’s teammates Adam Zampa and Travis Head backed him for showing dissent.
"It's very rare for him to block the next one, especially Wadey," said the Australian opener. "I think he didn't really have intention [to face the ball] - it followed him, he blocked it, Wadey just asked the question. Wadey obviously felt it went one way and Jos at the time felt it went the other.”
Leg-spinner Zampa also felt that it should have been called a dead ball. Wade hit it with bat just to avoid getting hit on the leg.
"I think he felt like that it was the same basically as letting it hit him in the leg on a dead ball. But it doesn't take much to fire Wadey up," Zampa said in the post-match press conference.
Buttler douses the flames
Meanwhile, England skipper Jos Buttler took a diplomatic approach and said that he was thinking about other things when it took place.
"I think he pulled away and then played it, so I think the umpire was like, 'Well, you sort of played it', but he said he pulled away," the England captain told the reporters after the defeat at Kensington Oval, Barbados. "And to be honest, I was thinking about many other things at that point. Whether I should have said, 'I don't know if he pulled away and let's just carry on'. But the umpire seemed to be like, 'Well, because he played it, it's a dot ball'.
"I can't speak for him, whether he looked up late, but he seemed ready and then pulled out very late and I think that's what the umpire was saying," the 33-year-old added.
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