England pacer Reece Topley was fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for expressing his frustration after sustaining an injury during the first T20I against West Indies in Barbados.
The 30-year-old bowler, who has had a history of injuries, suffered a knee injury while bowling. Despite attempting to continue after a rain delay, he was forced to leave the field. His reaction to the injury led to the imposition of the fine by the ICC.
Reece Topley's frustration reached a boiling point as he made his way back to the pavilion following his injury. Reports suggest that the fast bowler reacted angrily by smashing a chair against the handrail of the staircase during the first T20I between England and West Indies in Barbados.
This incident echoed a similar outburst during the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, where a broken finger prematurely ended his tournament. While he escaped punishment for the previous incident, the ICC has imposed a 15% fine on his match fee for the recent outburst.
“Topley was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match,” The ICC said in a statement.
Reece Topley has been penalized with a fine and a demerit point for a recent disciplinary breach. This is his first such offense in the past two years. As he has admitted wrongdoing and accepted the penalty imposed by ICC referee Richie Richardson, a formal hearing is not required.
The incident was reported by on-field umpires Leslie Reifer and Zahid Bassarath, as well as third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Deighton Butler.
For Level 1 violations under ICC rules, players can face penalties like official reprimands, fines up to half their match fee, or the addition of one or two demerit points to their disciplinary record. Notably, accumulating four or more demerit points within a two-year period can lead to a suspension. However, as this was Topley's first offense, he hasn't reached this level of disciplinary action.
