New Delhi:
West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for four matches after he admitted to ball-tampering in the third and final ODI against Afghanistan at the Ekana stadium in Lucknow. West Indies whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 and this was their first series win in an ODI after five years but the occasion was soured when Pooran was found guilty of tampering and he had to issue a public apology.
"Nicolas Pooran has been handed four suspension points after admitting breaching level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Pooran was charged with violating Article 2.14 of the code, which relates to 'changing the condition of the ball' after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail," the International Cricket Council said in a statement.
Pooran himself admitted the charge and sanctions levelled by match referee Chris Broad, which means he will miss four Twenty20 International matches and five demerit points have been added to his record. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Bismillah Shinwari and Ahmed Durrani and third umpire Ahmed Pakteen as well as fourth umpire Izatullah Safi. Level 3 breaches carry a minimum penalty of four suspension points which translates to five demerit points on a player's record and a ban of two Test matches or four ODI/T20I matches and a maximum penalty of 12 suspension points which equate to six demerit points.
Also Read | India-Bangladesh First Day-Night Test At Eden Gardens? BCCI Sends Proposal To BCB
"I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident and it will not be repeated. I want to issue a sincere apology to my teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team for what transpired on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow. I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I promise to learn from this and come back stronger and wiser," Pooran admitted.
