BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WEST INDIES middle order batsman Nicholas Pooran has been given a four-match T20 suspension following a ball tampering incident during the third One Day match against Afghanistan.
Reports out of India, where the series is being played, suggest that video footage showed Pooran scratching the ball with his thumbnail.
According to reports, the batsman admitted to the charge, which is a level code of the International Cricket Code of Conduct.
Cricket website, cricinfo.com, explained that Pooran breached Article 2.14 of the code of conduct, which points to changing the condition of the ball.
Match Referee Chris Broad handed down his decision on today (Nov. 13) following Monday’s match which the West Indies won to seal a series sweep.
Pooran will now miss the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan and one match against India.
Following the announcement of his suspension, Pooran issued a statement saying: “I want to issue a sincere apology to my teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team for what transpired on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow. I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident and it will not be repeated. I promise to learn from this and come back stronger and wiser.”
