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Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has been reprimanded after pleading guilty to a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during Zimbabwe’s first T20 against Pakistan in Harare on Friday.
Williams was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 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”.
On Saturday, Williams admitted the offence and accepted the proposed sanction offered to him by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. As such, there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charge related to an incident in Zimbabwe’s innings when Williams, after being given out in the 14th over, left the wicket shaking his head, speaking aloud and hitting his bat into the ground.
The charge had been laid by on-field umpires Owen Chirombe and Jeremiah Matibiri and third umpire Russell Tiffin.
Crowe said: “Sean accepted that he made inappropriate gestures after his dismissal when leaving the wicket, while walking off the field and as he entered the dressing room area.”
The range of permissible sanctions for all first Level 1 offences is a warning or reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine of up to 50 per cent of the applicable match fee.
Meanwhile, minor permutations need to be made in Zimbabwe’s approach to the oncoming one-day cricket series against Pakistan if the men in red fight hard enough to turn their spirited performances in the just-ended Twenty20 series.
A higher level of batting instincts and innings’ consistency separated the two sides in the back-to-back two match T20 series which Pakistan won 2-0, but a lot of positives came from the match showing that there isn’t too much to separate the two sides in the longer version.
Zimbabwe made good starts in the build up of each innings in both occasions getting half century partnerships for the first wicket. That is not the easiest to do facing lethal bowling attack from the world number two ranked side in the format but unfortunately these starts did not convert to personal milestones of bigger partnerships down the order.
One tactical flaw that will need to be corrected in the oncoming series, in the selection process was sitting out the feisty in-form Sikander Raza and replacing him with Timycen Maruma. Maruma is a steady batsman in the longer version of cricket but when a Howitzer is needed, Raza is the man to this give a quickfire innings.
Zimbabwe at most points in the series needed to go at over 10 runs and having an inconsistent slow scorer in the middle was a costly over site.
Nothing but praise should be given to our bowlers even Pakistan’s Talisman Ahmed Shehzad acknowldeged how he had to fight valiantly for his back-to-back match winning half centuries as Andy Waller’s men maintained their tempo from the Indian tour — even in the absence of front liner Kyle Jarvis.
“I think they bowled very well in beginnings especially in the powerplays and the fielding was good. Even though some of the bowlers do not have express pace they were trying very hard around the 17th over, hitting the channels bowling in the right areas with some Yorkers that made it difficult to connect the ball,” said Shehzad.
Zimbabwe may not have an Umar Gul’s or Junaid Khan in the bowling attack but it boasts of a new breed of young fast bowlers. One such who shone in the first game of theT20 series is Mountaineers’ Tendai Chatara who ripped through Pakistan top order in two consecutive overs.
When a player is in his prime form it is not a prudent decision to replace him as the selectors did replacing him with Shingirai Masakadza in the second match. Such questionable moves show that there may have been mixed approaches to the series and in the end all these over sites in addiction to minor errors on the field accumulated to an unnecessary gap between the two sides.
Online Reporter