Ben Cutting of Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators’ Sohail Tanvir have both been fined 15 per cent of their match fees for breaching a Level 1 offence of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct in separate incidents during their side’s match in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 on Tuesday.
 
Both the players were found to have violated Article 2.6 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during a PSL Match”.
 
The incident involving Cutting happened in the penultimate over of Zalmi’s innings when the batter, after hitting the bowler for a third consecutive six, made inappropriate gestures using his fingers.
 
As regards Sohail, he made similar gestures after catching Cutting off Naseem Shah on the first ball of the final over.
 
Match referee Ali Naqvi: “Such type of inappropriate gestures have no space in this great sport. The players need to always understand and remember their on and off the field responsibilities as they are role models and behaviour like this sends out a wrong message to the younger generation of cricketers. The HBL PSL 2022 is being played in good, positive spirits and I would like to see the players continue to fight hard inside the field of play but at the same time to remain within the parameters of the spirit of the game.”
 
Both Cutting and Sohail pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed to be imposed by Ali Naqvi and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Michael Gough and Rashid Riaz, third umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Waleed Yaqoob.
 
All first-time offences of Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official warning and/or imposition of a fine of up to 25 per cent of the applicable match fee.