Cricket news: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday levied fine on India’s fast bowler Arshdeep Singh for breaching the code of conduct during the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium on Sunday. Singh has been fined 15% of his match fee.

According to an official statement issued by ICC, Singh committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which pertains to ‘throwing a ball or any other piece of cricket equipment at or near a player in a dangerous or inappropriate manner during an international match.’

Incident unfolded during NZ’s batting

Notably, the incident took place in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings, when Singh threw the ball towards the striker’s end. The ball ended up striking NZ Batter Daryl Mitchell on his body, sparking a brief tension between both the sides. 

However, the situation did not escalate as both players exchanged handshakes after the momentary confrontation. 

Singh apologises after match

Singh clarified after the match that the incident was unintentional and that he apologised to Mitchell immediately. He said, “I went to say sorry to Mitchell. My throw-reverse swung a bit too much and it hit his body, so I told him that I didn’t hit him intentionally.” Later, both the cricketers were spotted sharing a light moment and exchanging pleasantries, signalling that the matter had cooled down amicably. 

Magnitude of achievement yet to sink in, says Singh

Despite playing a pivotal role in India’s bowling attack during the final, Singh admitted that the magnitude of the achievement had yet to fully sink in. “Maybe in two or three days, when the emotions settle, we’ll truly understand what this victory means,” he said.