Indian women's team captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, caused a major uproar in the cricketing world due to her inappropriate behavior during the third ODI against Bangladesh. After being dismissed, she displayed her frustration by smashing her stumps and later launched a scathing attack on the umpires publicly. As a result of her actions, Harmanpreet not only faced severe criticism but was also handed a two-game suspension. Many individuals in India expressed their disappointment with her conduct, and even former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, joined in criticizing her.
ICC could have set a proper example
As per an ICC statement, Harmanpreet was fined 75 percent of her match fee for breaching the Code of Conduct and was also given four demerit points. However, Afridi believed that she should have been fined the entire match fee as a more appropriate punishment.
When questioned about whether a harsher penalty was warranted, Afridi concurred, emphasizing that the ICC should have set a strong example for the future, discouraging such behavior on the cricket field.
"This is not just India. We've seen these things in the past as well. Although, we don't see this often in women's cricket. This was way too much, it was a big event under ICC. With the punishment, you set an example for the future. You can get aggressive on cricket; controlled aggression is good, but this was a bit too much," Afridi told Samaa TV.
Had blow to India at crucial time
Due to the accumulation of four demerit points, Harmanpreet faced an automatic suspension for the next two limited-overs games, as per the relevant rules. The suspension rule dictates that a player who accumulates four demerit points would miss one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, depending on the sequence of upcoming matches.
Unfortunately, the timing of the suspension couldn't have been worse for the Indian women's team, especially with the Asian Games on the horizon. The team had already secured their place in the quarter-finals, but they will have to navigate through the knockout games without their captain's services. If India progresses to the final, Harmanpreet would be eligible to participate in that crucial match.
