During the ongoing Ashes opener at Edgbaston in Birmingham, Moeen Ali managed to attract significant attention, although not for positive reasons. The all-rounder has been found guilty of violating the ICC Code of Conduct during the second day of the match, leading to a 25% fine on his match fees imposed by the ICC.
Unintentional breach of ICC code
The incident occurred in the 89th over of Australia's first innings on the second day, when Moeen was observed applying a drying agent to his bowling hand while fielding at the boundary line. It was later revealed that he was using the agent to treat a blister.
As a consequence of his actions, the experienced player breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which pertains to exhibiting behavior that goes against the spirit of the game. Additionally, he has been given one demerit point, which has been added to his disciplinary record due to the violation of Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Taking to Twitter, former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg revealed that he felt the fine was an 'overspin' on the issue. "25 per cent fine for this is a bit of 'overspin' on the issue when you know Moeen was not using it for any other purpose than to prevent his blister getting worse! He could have left the ground repeatedly disguising the spray but did it openly. Fair play given the finger! #Ashes2023," he wrote.
Without the need for a formal hearing, the 36-year-old cricketer, Moeen Ali, has accepted the penalty by Andy Pycroft, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. The match referee concluded that the drying agent was solely applied to Moeen's finger and was not utilized as an artificial substance on the ball. The charge against him was filed by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Marais Erasmus, with support from third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth umpire Mike Burns.
