ICC match referee's statment on Akram-Warne incident
Result of the hearing held concerning the charging of Mohammad Akram under clauses 2 & 4 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct
ICC
27-Nov-1999
Result of the hearing held concerning the charging of Mohammad Akram under
clauses 2 & 4 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct.
ICC Match Referee John Reid received a report from on-field umpire Darrell Hair
that Mohammad Akram lowered his shoulder and made avoidable contact with Shane
Warne during the third day of the third Ansett Australia Test match between
Australia and Pakistan on Saturday.
As a result of the above, Mohammad Akram was charged under clauses 2 and 4 of
the ICC Code of Conduct, which are:
2. Players and/or Team Officials shall at no time engage in conduct unbecoming
to their status which could bring them or the game into disrepute.
4. Players and/or Team Officials shall not verbally abuse, assault, intimidate
or attempt to assault or intimidate any umpire, spectator, Referee, Player or
Team Official.
After studying video evidence of the incident at the hearing, Mr Reid believed
the contact to have been intentional and, more importantly, avoidable. He also
noted that no apology was made to Shane Warne at the time.
Mohammad Akram admitted he was guilty as charged and as umpire Hair is directed
under both the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and ICC regulations not to allow
avoidable bodily contact, the action was deemed to have been unacceptable.
At the hearing Mohammad Akram immediately apologised and showed a sense of
remorse for his actions. He claimed it was a heat of the moment incident and
promised that it would not happen again.
Mr Reid's decision was to give the player a severe reprimand.
John Reid
ICC Match Referee
27 November 1999