WTC Final: Team India slapped with heavy fine for slow overrate, Shubman Gill fined for criticizing umpires

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• Jun 12, 2023 | Dhupali Das

WTC Final: The International Cricket Council slapped a heavy penalty on Rohit Sharma and his entire team after they lost to...

Digital Desk: The International Cricket Council (ICC) slapped a heavy penalty on Rohit Sharma and his entire team after they lost to Australia in the World Test Championship final by 209 runs. The Indian team was penalized the entire WTC final match fee for a slow over rate, the ICC said on Monday. The decision was made after Rohit and the team were found guilty of being five overs short of their target.

Australia has also been held up and penalized 80% of their match fee for being four overs short. According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, "players are fined 20% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time."

In another blow, India opener Shubman Gill has been penalized 15% of his match fee for voicing his dissatisfaction. Gill took to Twitter and Instagram to express his dissatisfaction with the umpire's decision to rule him out in India's second innings. The additional fine means he will be fined 115 percent of the match cost.

"India's Shubman Gill will face penalties for attempting to criticize the decision to take him out on the fourth day of the Test, in violation of article 2.7, which deals with public criticism or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring during an international match. The young opener was fined an additional 15% of his match fee," the statement read.

Gill took a delivery from Scott Boland to third slip, where a diving Green took the catch. But, as the Australians rejoiced, Gill stayed firm. The decision was referred to the third umpire, Richard Kettleborough, who declared out after checking a few angles, leaving Gill disappointed and his captain-cum-opening partner Rohit Sharma in shock. Rohit was seen questioning the umpire about the decision, while Gill stormed out with an expression of disdain on his face. The call elicited a mixed reaction: the Indian media blew it up, while Australians were satisfied with Kettlborough's decision.

In the post-match press conference, Rohit expressed his displeasure with the outcome. He expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that more camera perspectives should have been available before hitting the huge red button within the box, giving the IPL as an example, which had ten different camera viewpoints. The India captain stated that for a large occasion like the WTC final, the technology offered should have been better. On the contrary, Australia captain Pat Cummins refuted the claim, calling Kettleborough "the best umpire in the world."

The over-rate was always a problem during the WTC final. A total of 44 overs were lost, accounting for nearly half a day's play. Despite a half-hour extension, less than 75 overs were bowled on Day 2, and the offense was repeated on Day 3. Medical breaks and DRS always account for time lost.

"It's discouraging when you don't get as many overs as you'd like. To be honest, there aren't many levers that can be pushed under the existing regulations to urge people to bowl quickly, so it may be something that needs to be reconsidered. Over the last few days, there have been numerous stoppages in play for bandaging up fingers and other such things. Fortunately, it didn't affect the outcome, but ideally, you're bowling 90 overs in a day," Cummins stated after the match.