West Indies took on England in the second T20I at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 9. Though England won by eight wickets, it was Reece Topley injury midway while bowling that caused trouble for the visitors temporarily. Topley was bowling the third over of his spell and injured his right knee before he delivered the ball.
The 30-year-old subsequently left the field and did not return to play again. But the trouble did not leave him off the field, as he was fined 15 percent of the match fee as he picked up a chair and smashed it on the staircase handrail. For the unversed, he did the similar antic during the ODI World Cup 2023 game against India, where he had kicked a chair out of his path. He was not charged for his conduct in World Cup by ICC.
Topley was found guilty of Level 1 breach of Article 2.2
Topley was found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s Code of Conduct this time around, with Article 2.2 relating to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”
ICC’s match referee, Richie Richardson, proposed a sanction as Topley admitted the offense and accepted the sanction. This also prevented him from attending a formal hearing. This has also caused an impact on Topley’s disciplinary record. He has been awarded one demerit point. It is worth noting that a player with s four or more demerit points within a 24-month period will incur suspension and a potential ban. This was Topley’s first of such instances.
Speaking of the game, West Indies provided England a target of 183 after batting first. England on the back of Philip Salt’s unbeaten 103 off 54 balls chased the target in just 16.5 overs as Salt was adjudged as the Player of the Match.