South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock has been fined 25 percent of his match fee from the first Test against Australia. He has also received one demerit point after South Africa’s attempt to reduce a sanction against him failed on Wednesday (March 7) evening. De Kock was found guilty of a level one breach of the ICC’s code of conduct by match referee Jeff Crowe for his part in the stairwell spat with Australia’s David Warner.
Although the Proteas initially suggested that they would contest the charge, in the end, they only attempted to have the penalty reduced. Coach Ottis Gibson, skipper Faf du Plessis, and team manager Doctor Mohammad Moosajee all accompanied de Kock to the hearing at the team hotel, which lasted around 45 minutes.
Also read: ICC Takes Strict Actions Against David Warner and Quinton de KockWhile they acknowledged that de Kock had said something to Warner ahead of the Australian’s ugly argument in the staircase leading up to the Kingsmead dressing rooms, they argued that de Kock’s comments were a response to Australia’s provocation.
Explaining why South Africa wanted to claim the charge, Gibson said, “Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. There’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you find me for something?”
Also read: Steven Smith shows his support to Warner Although the Proteas presented two independent eyewitnesses to back their case up, they were ultimately unsuccessful, with Crowe imposing the charges after a brief discussion.
During his press conference at St George’s Park ahead of Friday’s second Test, Gibson asked the players to get back to the game. But any hopes that the ICC’s findings will provide a sense of completeness in the saga are likely to be positive, with the hostility between the two sides both shaken and stirred by the events of the past week.
