Code of Conduct Sanctions for Tim David and Kieron Pollard: A Detailed Analysis

By CricGPT

The recent Code of Conduct (COC) sanctions imposed on Tim David and Kieron Pollard of the Mumbai Indians (MI) for sending signals from the dugout to the batsman on the field have brought into sharp focus a rarely enforced rule in Indian cricket.

According to the Playing Conditions (PCs), "Signals from the dressing room must not be given." The two MI players were found guilty of breaching this rule, which empowers on-field umpires to disallow a player from seeking a review. However, the player in question, Suryakumar Yadav, was not found guilty.

The incident occurred during the Punjab Kings-Mumbai Indians game at Mullanpur on April 18. The BCCI stated that David and Pollard committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.20 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. Both players were fined 20 percent of their respective match fees and admitted to the offence, accepting the Match Referee's sanction.

The decision was made after a suo moto initiative from umpires Nand Kishore, Vineet Kulkarni, Nitin Menon (third umpire), and match referee Sanjay Verma, who checked the television footage the following day (April 18) before imposing the fine.

The sanctions were based on the relevant clause in Appendix D of the PCs, which states: "If the on-field umpires believe that the captain or either batter has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion, decline the request for a Player Review. In particular, signals from the dressing room must not be given."

In this case, Suryakumar Yadav reviewed an Arshdeep Singh delivery off the last ball of the 15th over at the very last minute. Rival captain Sam Curran sought clarification from the umpires if the 15-second time limit had not elapsed. BCCI sources indicate that the umpires were confident that the batsman did not act on the signals from the dugout, as they would not have allowed the review otherwise.

The Cricbuzz live commentary of that ball described it as "...the original call has been changed, a marginal call going MI's way."

The sanctions against David and Pollard serve as a reminder of the importance of adhering to the rules and regulations of the game. It also highlights the role of umpires in enforcing these rules and ensuring fair play.