Mohammed Siraj has broken his silence after both he and Travis Head were banned by the ICC after the pair were involved in a heated exchange during the Adelaide Test.
Australia claimed a 10-wicket victory thanks to Head’s exceptional innings, with the South Australian batsman dazzling his home fans, smashing 140 runs off 141 balls, to help Pat Cummins’ side level the series.
Perhaps one of the biggest talking points of the match came after Siraj dismissed him with a full delivery. The Indian bowler subsequently dismissed the Australian batsman, which Head also did not seem to take kindly and shared some choice words with his opponent.
A lip reader revealed Head used the term ‘F*** you ****’ while walking from the crease, according to News.com.au.
Siraj subsequently accused Head of abusing him and lying after Head claimed in his post-match press conference that he had said “well bowled” to the Indian stump, after Siraj knocked down his stumps.
Despite their claims, both have been found guilty by the ICC of breaching its code of conduct, with Siraj having 20 per cent deducted from his match fee.
Mohammed Siraj (pictured) has broken his silence after being banned following his heated dispute with Travis Head.
The ICC gave the couple a demerit point and Siraj received an equivalent fine.
He was sanctioned under article 2.5 of the code, related to “using language, actions or gestures that disparage or may provoke aggressive reactions from a batsman upon being dismissed.”
A demerit point was also added to the Indian star’s disciplinary record. If a player reaches four or more demerit points in a two-year period, they will be converted to suspension points, which can lead to bans. It was his first violation in the last 24 months.
But he didn’t seem too worried about the sanctions.
“Yeah, man, it’s all good,” he said when asked about the fine, which will be equal to about $16,500.
When asked if he was upset by the decision, Siraj said: “I’m going to the gym now.”
Meanwhile, Head was deemed to have breached article 2.13 of the code, relating to “abuse of a player, player support staff, referee or match official”. He has also received a demerit point, and both stars are understood to have accepted the sanctions.
“Siraj and Head admitted their respective offenses and accepted the sanctions proposed by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing,” the ICC said.
After the clash, Indian cricket great Ravi Shastri, who scored 3,830 runs and took 151 wickets during his Test career before leading India on two victorious tours of Australia between 2017 and 2021 as the team’s coach, offered a surprising insight into the matter.
Despite their heated altercation on the field, the two hugged and shook hands at the end of the game.
Cricket great Ravi Shastri has claimed that the pair’s heated exchange was a good thing, adding that you want your fast bowlers to show some needle.
“I’m sure Siraj and Head are mature people who will take care of it and the dust will have settled by now,” he said. Sports Code.
‘If anything, I wouldn’t have expected anything more from a fast bowler after being hit for a six. Siraj was venting. That is the temperament of the fast bowler.
‘You want it to be like this. When I played, my philosophy was to give back the best you can.
“And that’s exactly what I used to tell my players when I was coaching India in Australia. Don’t hold back even a bit.
Despite this, Shastri has urged India not to take a step back against the Australians in Brisbane this week.
“Don’t take a step back,” he added.
“Then it became the team philosophy and everyone from Virat Kohli to Rishabh Pant and everyone in the team was ready to give it back to the Australians.”