Perth Scorchers all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been fined $5,000 but has escaped suspension, meaning he is free to play in Thursday night’s BBL Knockout Final.
Marsh had reacted angrily to an unfavourable umpiring decision in the Scorchers’ nine-wicket BBL Qualifier defeat against Sydney Sixers on Saturday night.
“Perth Scorchers player Mitchell Marsh has been charged with a Level 2 offence under the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct following his side’s KFC BBL Finals match against the Sydney Sixers on January 30,” Cricket Australia said in a statement on Sunday.
“Marsh was charged by match referee Bob Stratford under Article 2.8 of the Code of Conduct for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match,” it added.
Marsh accepted the charge and the proposed sanction of $5,000.
“I accept the fine handed down to me, my reaction to the umpire’s decision was unacceptable and not the example I want to be setting for any young cricketer,” Marsh said.
“I have complete respect for the umpires and the job they do. I’ll learn from this and look forward to Thursday night’s match,” he added.
Speaking after the incident on Saturday night, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he feared Marsh would be suspended.
“You name another time in the game where you’ve seen a reaction like that for as prolonged as that was from a batsman,” Ponting had said on Channel Seven. “I’m not hoping he does (get suspended) but I reckon he will.
“He will have to pay in some way, shape or form for his reaction to that dismissal. Let’s hope it is not a bad outcome. It will be bad in one way or the other, but his reaction was over the top and not expected from a senior Australian player,” he added.
On Thursday, Scorchers will play the winner of Sunday night’s match between the Sydney Thunder and the Brisbane Heat for the right to play the Sixers in the Final.