USA Pacer Banned By ICC For Breach of Code of Conduct 

image-lg8fxpywAli Khan (Source: Twitter)

United States of America pacer, Ali Khan, has been handed a two-game ban for the country’s upcoming matches, following a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. The decision to impose the suspension follows his accumulation of four demerit points within a 24-month period.

The punishment was the result of Khan's violation of Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which prohibits the use of language, actions, or gestures that disparage or could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon their dismissal during an international match.

The right-arm pacer's offence occurred during the World Cup Qualifier Play-off match against Jersey in Windhoek on Tuesday. He was also fined 15% of his match fee for his actions. Prior to this incident, Khan had already accumulated three demerit points for two separate breaches of the ICC code of conduct during a T20I match against Bermuda held in November 2021, as part of the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier Americas Final hosted in Antigua.

The 32-year-old's suspension could have an impact on the team's performance in the upcoming matches. He will now be forced to sit out for the next two games, leaving the team with one less bowler.

Furthermore, in addition to Khan's punishment, his teammate, Jasdeep Singh, and Jersey’s Elliot Miles, were also reprimanded for a Level 1 breach. 

The incidents took place towards the end of Jersey's chase, after the dismissal of their ninth and tenth wickets, both of which were taken by Khan.  Although the speedster managed to finish with impressive figures of 7 for 32, tensions were extremely heated between the two sides throughout the match and it escalated to a boiling point, leading to multiple players from both sides getting involved in a series of conflicts.

All three players implicated in the incident acknowledged the offences and agreed to the imposed penalties, rendering any formal hearings unnecessary. 

It is pertinent to mention that the United States is one of only two Associate countries to have a player with three separate reprimands, with the other being Jersey's Julius Sumerauer. However, unlike Khan, Sumerauer's breaches have all been level one infractions, and he has not incurred a suspension.