England pacer Stuart Broad has been fined 15% of his match fee - equivalent to around £2,000 ($2,617) - and has been given a demerit point by his father and match referee Chris Broad for a level one breach of International Cricket Council's code of conduct during his side's first Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford.
The incident occurred early on the fourth day of the first Test when Broad, who was England's best bowler with six wickets in the match, dismissed Yasir Shah in the 46th over. The bowler admitted the offence of using inappropriate language and accepted the sanction proposed by his father, who was the match referee.
It was his third offence in 24 months, which now takes his tally to three demerit points, meaning that if he is fined in the second Test at Southampton, an automatic one-test suspension would be triggered. The first incident Stuart Broad was involved in came against South Africa's Faf du Plessis in Johannesburg, while the second against India's Rishabh Pant (August 2018).
Chris usually denies officiating the games his son is associated with, but given that he is overseeing all of England's home Tests this summer coupled with the travel restrictions imposed due to the global pandemic, he was named the match referee for the Old Trafford Test.
Reacting to the sanction, Broad Jr. joked on Twitter, saying that he has taken his father “off the Christmas card and present list”.
He’s off the Christmas card & present list
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 11, 2020
England, after struggling for much of the first Test, registered a three-wicket win over Pakistan on the back of Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes' match-winning 139 runs partnership. They take on Azhar Ali's men in the second Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton starting from August 13.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Michael Steele
