New Delhi: The three main players in the dramatic sequence of events in Jaipur on Thursday find themselves in the dock over their involvement in the episode. Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne and captain of Kolkata Knight Riders Sourav Ganguly have been fined 10 per cent of their match fees while umpire GA Pratapkumar has been handed out a one-match suspension.
Ganguly was fined for asking Pratapkumar to refer his catch claimed by Royals players Graeme Smith to the third umpire.
The umpire got into trouble as according to the rules he was meant to ask his on-field colleague for his view first before going to the third umpire. He didn't and was slapped with a one-match suspension.
And the third player in the drama didn't escape too. Warne was docked 10 per cent of his match fee too for a vitriolic press conference at the end of Jaipur's contest against the Knight Riders.
"The players are actually not allowed to ask for the third umpire and Sourav asked the Indian umpire (GA Pratapkumar) to go to the third umpire which is not he is not allowed to do. It was a clear catch," an agitated Warne had said at the post-match press conference on Thursday.
Clearly; after the Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth slapgate it was the last thing the Indian Premier League (IPL) needed. It is another episode that threatens to bring the focus back on the controversies and a rattled IPL chairman came down hard on the players involved.
"As far as the IPL and the BCCI are concerned any incident of this kind, however small it may be, is noticed and actions will be taken promptly," IPL Chairman Lalit Modi said.
Ironically, the IPL made the decision on its own. Earlier in the day Rajasthan Royals decided that they weren't keen to escalate tensions anymore and ended speculation that a complaint will be made against Ganguly.
"The match referee as the representative of the IPL was there and it is for the IPL to decide what action to take," Rajasthan Royals' media manager Anant Vyas said.
And even as the Knight Riders touched down in Mohali for their next game; it was clear that the controversy had taken its toll. The coach refused to fuel the fire any further.
"Sourav and Shane Warne have accepted what the IPL has said and I don't actually see that there is any great value in extending the conversation," Knight Riders John Buchanan said.
And what's more we may not have heard the end of it. Even match referee Farokh Engineer may find himself in trouble apparently for wearing the Rajasthan Royals outfit during the game.
(With inputs from Swati Vashishta, Nishant Arora and Digvijay Singh Deo)
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