England off-spinner Moeen Ali has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for spraying a substance on his bowling hand without the umpires’ consent during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
The incident happened in the 89th over of play on Saturday, which was day two of the match, with Moeen subsequently accepting the charge.
Ali admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
In reaching his decision to sanction the player, the Match Referee was satisfied that Ali had used the spray only to dry his hands.
The spray was not used as an artificial substance on the ball and consequently it had not changed the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition,” the statement added.
On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Marais Erasmus, third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth umpire Mike Burns levelled the charge.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
