Tom Curran has been banned for four Big Bash League matches after being found guilty of intimidating a match official - although Sydney Sixers will appeal the disciplinary sanction.
Curran, the older brother of England all-rounder Sam Curran, was charged with a Level 3 offense under Cricket Australia’s code of conduct after the incident in which he inexplicably ran at reserve umpire Muhammad Quereshi before the Sixers’ win over Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on December 11.
Television footage showed the 28-year-old being advised by Quereshi that he wasn’t allowed to practice his bowling run-up onto the match pitch after he had done so - only the captains and coaches of the respective teams are permitted to walk on the cut strip before play as per the laws of the game.
However, Curran, a player with 60 international caps himself, then switched to the other end of the ground in an attempt to repeat the trick, leading to the official acting as a human blockade at the bowling crease.
‘You can run here,’ Quereshi could be heard saying through the stump microphones, pointing to an adjacent strip, ‘not here,’ gesturing towards the pitch itself.
Following a brief pause, Curran, standing at the top of his mark, 20 yards away, then charged in as if to bowl, running directly at the official before sidestepping at the last minute and planting his front foot into the bowlers’ landing area.
After Curran veered off the playing surface, the clip released by Channel 7 in Australia, then appeared to beep out an expletive.
‘Curran was seen in the footage gesturing to the umpire to move away from the pitch,’ said Cricket Australia in a statement.
‘Curran then attempted to perform a practice run-up and run at pace straight towards the umpire who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran. The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision.’
Curran claimed bowling figures of three for 19 and then hit the winning runs in the six-wicket success for the visiting team.
The Surrey player contested the charge but is now set to miss four of the Sixers’ 10 group stage matches, pending an appeal from his franchise.
Rachael Haynes, the head of the Sixers, confirmed they would support their player and ‘vigorously appeal the sanction.’
Haynes said: ‘Tom and the club maintain that Tom did not knowingly or intentionally intimidate a match official, and on legal advice, we will exercise our right to appeal the decision. We will support Tom during this period and look forward to him returning to the field.'
Curran, the older brother of England all-rounder Sam Curran, was charged with a Level 3 offense under Cricket Australia’s code of conduct after the incident in which he inexplicably ran at reserve umpire Muhammad Quereshi before the Sixers’ win over Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on December 11.
Television footage showed the 28-year-old being advised by Quereshi that he wasn’t allowed to practice his bowling run-up onto the match pitch after he had done so - only the captains and coaches of the respective teams are permitted to walk on the cut strip before play as per the laws of the game.
However, Curran, a player with 60 international caps himself, then switched to the other end of the ground in an attempt to repeat the trick, leading to the official acting as a human blockade at the bowling crease.
‘You can run here,’ Quereshi could be heard saying through the stump microphones, pointing to an adjacent strip, ‘not here,’ gesturing towards the pitch itself.
Following a brief pause, Curran, standing at the top of his mark, 20 yards away, then charged in as if to bowl, running directly at the official before sidestepping at the last minute and planting his front foot into the bowlers’ landing area.
After Curran veered off the playing surface, the clip released by Channel 7 in Australia, then appeared to beep out an expletive.
‘Curran was seen in the footage gesturing to the umpire to move away from the pitch,’ said Cricket Australia in a statement.
‘Curran then attempted to perform a practice run-up and run at pace straight towards the umpire who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran. The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision.’
Curran claimed bowling figures of three for 19 and then hit the winning runs in the six-wicket success for the visiting team.
The Surrey player contested the charge but is now set to miss four of the Sixers’ 10 group stage matches, pending an appeal from his franchise.
Rachael Haynes, the head of the Sixers, confirmed they would support their player and ‘vigorously appeal the sanction.’
Haynes said: ‘Tom and the club maintain that Tom did not knowingly or intentionally intimidate a match official, and on legal advice, we will exercise our right to appeal the decision. We will support Tom during this period and look forward to him returning to the field.'
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