India’s Pratika Rawal, England Team Fined for ICC Code of Conduct Breach After 1st ODI

India batter Pratika Rawal and the England women’s cricket team have been fined for breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct during the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series in Southampton, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.

Rawal was fined 10 per cent of her match fee and received one demerit point for committing a Level 1 offence, the lowest tier under the ICC’s disciplinary framework. The penalties relate to two separate incidents during the match.

According to the ICC, Rawal was found guilty of “avoidable physical contact” with England bowler Lauren Filer in the 18th over of the Indian innings, followed by a similar incident involving Sophie Ecclestone in the next over.

The governing body stated that Rawal admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Shandre Fritz, making a formal hearing unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the England team was also fined for a minor over-rate offence during the match. The players were found to be one over short of the target after time allowances were considered and were fined accordingly.

The first ODI saw intense competition between the two sides, with emotions occasionally spilling over, leading to the noted breaches. The ICC has urged both teams to maintain discipline and uphold the spirit of the game in the remaining matches of the series.