India may have won the second ODI at Indore against South Africa on Wednesday, but cricket team manager Vinod Phadke has not been allowed to go scot-free by the ICC for his comments on umpire Vineet Kulkarni ahead of the game.
MS Dhoni and his men won the ODI match on Wednesday at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore by 22 runs, following a sensational show by the skipper with his bat. Catch the highlights of the game HERE.
However, while the cricketers got their moment of cheer, Phadke was fined 40% of his match fee for his comments on the Indian umpire.
"Phadke was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an International Match or any Player, Player Support Personnel, Match official or team participating in any International Match," ICC said in a media release.
Phadke pleaded that he was innocent after Chris Broad, who is a part of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, conducted a formal hearing after the end of the game.
"The charge, laid by the Playing Control Team, related to comments made by Mr Phadke in a website interview about Vineet Kulkarni, a member of the International Panel of ICC Umpires," the release added.
Phadke has been punished for a Level 1 degree offence, and according to the statement from the governing body of world cricket, the sanctions vary from a "warning or reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine of up to 50 per cent of the applicable match fee."
The umpiring in the ongoing Freedom series has come under scanner following some unsatisfactory decisions, and this is believed to be the primary reason that provoked Phadke to publicly criticise Kulkarni.
