Image Credit- Getty
The BBL has denied Tom Curran’s request to have his
four-match suspension for intimidating umpires reversed. The all-rounder for
the Sydney Sixers says he genuinely regrets his actions towards match official
Muhammad Qureshi.
After being prosecuted and found guilty of a Level 3
violation under the CA’s Code of Conduct for an incident that occurred prior to
the Sixers’ game against the Hobart Hurricanes on December 11 in Launceston,
Curran was suspended by Cricket Australia for four BBL matches.
The captain of the Sydney Sixers, Moises Henriques,
filed an appeal, saying he was “struggling to comprehend” the
suspension.
Curran’s appeal was lost on Sunday, but the BBL
announced that the punishment will stand. As a result, the all-rounder, who had
missed the Sixers’ victory over Adelaide Strikers on Friday, will miss the
team’s next three games against Melbourne Stars, Sydney Thunder, and Brisbane
Heat. Curran will be available once more for the Coffs Harbour match on January
3.
Although Curran’s regret had been accepted during the
appeals process, BBL general manager Alistair Dobson insisted that umpire
respect was crucial.
“Umpires are part of the lifeblood of cricket and
it is essential they are respected and appreciated by players at all levels of
the game,” Dobson said. “We acknowledge the remorse Tom’s shown
following the appeal and look forward to seeing him back in Sixers colours.
“Tom has been a long-time contributor to the BBL
and is a clear fan-favourite and someone we hope will continue to play an
integral role in the competition moving forward.”
Sixers released a lengthy statement with Curran
expressing regret for his actions.
“Until the moment of the incident, my
interactions with Umpire Qureshi on December 11 commenced in a manner
consistent with the rest of my professional career, we shared a laugh as he
worked through his duties measuring bats in the changeroom.
“My preparation for every fixture is deeply
methodical and my focus is intense during the warmup. Part of my preparation is
to do a run through and gauge my run up on that particular surface. I’ve done
this before every match and for me it’s part of my routine for every match.
“The interaction with Umpire Qureshi took me by
surprise at a time when I was very focused on my pre-match routine. I didn’t
expect the stand-off that resulted.
“I deeply regret the way I reacted to it and the
resultant impact for Umpire Qureshi, the Sydney Sixers and myself personally.