Tag 2nd-test-2011

We all have two ears, a nose and a mouth but life's permutations are so diverse that we all look different. Similar is ICC's code of conduct ~ no matter how specific it is, it requires a human match referee to judge the ups & downs and naturally, equality is never achieved. Today, on day 2 of this second test match between India and England, Ranjan Madhugalle let spinner Graeme Swann go with just a reprimanded for showing his anger on the field (breaking stumps), 24 hours since he had deducted 20 percent match fee of Praveen Kumar for showing similar aggression on field..

Praveen Kumar's case and Swann's situation were different, no doubt, but Indian fans back home surely have a reason to feel their boy was treated more severely than home team lad specially because punishment makes you guilty in publish whereas no one cares a warning!

So what exatly did Graeme Swann do today? well, English offie was hit on left wrist last evening by a bouncing cobra from Praveen Kumar and he had missed almost half of the day today nursing his injury. When Swann finally took field, he was soon called into bowling as Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh were taking the game away from his team and umpires denied him few moderately close shouts. Swann was frustrated and kicked non striking stumps at the end of 80th over but soon gathered his composure to put the bails back on. Both umpires, Asad Rauf and Marais Erasmus, noted it, had a discussion and penned something down in their notebooks.

After end of play, as the rule states, match referee watched the video of what had happened and found Swann had breached Article 2.1.2 of the code which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match but felt no need of formal hearing or punishment but just put a reminder to Swann that his gesture on field wasn't permitted.