The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a fine on Harmanpreet Kaur for her behaviour during the third and final ODI against Bangladesh. The ICC has deducted 75 percent of her match fee and added 3 demerit points to her record.
During the match, the captain of India's women's cricket team expressed her displeasure with the umpire's decision by hitting the stumps with her bat after being given out.
She also made critical remarks about the umpiring during the post-match presentation ceremony.
"Why are you here alone? Bring the umpires too. You haven't tied the match. The umpires did it for you. Call them up. We better have a photo with them as well," she allegedly said to her Bangladeshi counterpart Nigar Sultana Joty, who staged a walk-out with her players after the alleged comment.
Kaur's conduct drew criticism from various quarters, with former India captain Anjum Chopra expressing her critical views on the incident. However, Chopra also acknowledged Kaur's passion for winning and the emotions that come with the game.
“There's no harm in voicing your displeasure, but it's how and when you do it. She should have been more selective with her choice of words too,” Chopra said.
Smriti Mandhana, on the other hand, expressed her dissatisfaction with the umpiring decisions, suggesting the need for a better level of umpiring and possibly a neutral umpiring system in future matches.
“What happened in the middle is part and parcel of the game. We've seen these incidents so much when we see men's cricket so I'm sure you know something like this happening in women's cricket (is not unusual),” Mandhana said.
“I wouldn't say it is acceptable. But when you really want to win for India, these things happen," she added.
