ICC announces fine and one demerit point for Ishant Sharma's celebration on Day 3

A bit of the shine has been taken off Indian pace-bowler Ishant Sharma's amazing spell on Day 3 in the first England-India test at Edgbaston, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has just announced that the player will pay some penalty for his wild celebration at Dawid Malan's dismissal earlier yesterday.

Enroute to a brilliant 5 for 51, Ishant pitched a delivery a tad fuller than he his usual, just outside the off-stump, and it was edged by England No.4 Dawid Malan on-the-up to Rahane at second slip. India was looking for a breakthrough, and Ishant showed how much the wicket meant to him by staging quite a vocal celebration, directly at departing Malan himself.

Ishant Sharma has been fined 15 percent of his match fee. In addition, he has also been awarded one demerit point, as he has been discovered of being guilty of a Level 1 Breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

The Indian fast bowler was found to have violated Article 2.1.7 of ICC's code, on Friday. The above-mentioned article pertains to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an international match”, which was along the lines of what he did when Ishant wildly celebrated the dismissal of Malan.

Ishant moved to close proximity of the departing batsman and mouthed something, which according to the match officials, had the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the latter.

After the end of the day's play, the bowler was summoned by Jeff Crowe the match referee, in front of whom he admitted the offense, before accepting the sanction proposed by Crowe who is also a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. Hence the need for a formal hearing was redundant.

The charge was leveled by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Marais Erasmus, also members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, as well as fourth umpire Tim Robinson.