12 March,2014 08:06 AM IST | | PA Sport
England all-rounder Ravi Bopara has been fined along with West Indies duo Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy after all three admitted to breaching the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.
Bridgetown: Bopara and Samuels exchanged heated words in England's 27-run defeat in the first Twenty20 international against the Windies in Bridgetown. The incident occurred in the 12th over of England's reply, with West Indies captain Sammy also involved in the spat.
All three were found guilty of breaching Article 2.1.8 of the code, which states: "Where the facts of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by any of the (above) offence, conduct that either: (a) is contrary to the spirit of the game; or (b) brings the game into disrepute".
Bopara was fined 25 per cent of his match fee after the ICC found he was the instigator of the exchange, with Sammy and Samuels fined 20 and 10 per cent respectively. Samuels said after the match Bopara had angered him, but that he had later forgiven the England all-rounder.
"It was a small comment. He said something he shouldn't say, but in the end he said he was sorry," Samuels said. "Ravi is a very wonderful person and I always have a good relationship with him. "It was probably the heat of the moment that he said something.''
Samuels, who is currently banned from bowling his quicker ball because it is deemed to be an illegal delivery, declined to elaborate further. England captain Stuart Broad said of the incident in England's failed chase: "It was to do with Marlon.
"It looked something to do with a delivery Marlon bowled, etcetera ... "He obviously was a bit frustrated at something, and I don't think it got cleared up particularly in the middle."
