After Fatima Sana, Another Pakistan Star Punished By ICC Over Women's Asia Cup Outburst

By Suresh

Another Pakistan women's star in the ICC's dock, it seems. After Fatima Sana, it's now Gull Feroza who has felt the code's weight. Here's the rhythm of it: Feroza was fined 10% of her match fee and handed a demerit point during the Women's Asia Cup Group A clash against Hong Kong in Dubai on Monday. Simple enough, but let me set the scene, for the cricketing world, like a raga, unfolds in its own time. It happened in the fifth over of Pakistan's innings. Feroza was out lbw. She gestured toward her bat—signalling she'd edged the ball, disagreeing with the call. That, under Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct, is showing dissent at an umpire's decision. A Level 1 breach. Now, the patient in this case admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match Referee Supriya Rani Das—so no formal hearing was needed. The charge itself was brought by the onfield umpires Rabab Ahsan and Rokeya Sultana, with Shivani Mishra as third umpire and Shathira Jakir fourth. But hear this cadence twice over, for it matters: this is Feroza's second disciplinary offence within a 24-month window. She now carries two demerit points. The first came back on June 23, during the Women's T20 World Cup match against Australia. Let me explain the tempo of the disciplinary system, so we all understand the stakes. Under the ICC's rhythm, four or more demerit points within 24 months convert into suspension points. Two suspension points mean a ban—one Test, two ODIs, or two T20Is, whichever arrives first. Each demerit point lingers on a player's record for 24 months. A Level 1 breach, by the way, can carry anything from an official reprimand up to 50% of match fee plus one or two demerit points. Feroza landed squarely at the lighter end of that spectrum. So the melody continues, and one wonders how many more movements before the music resolves differently for her. The point remains: even the smallest gesture toward dissent carries weight in the grand symphony of international cricket. Source: NDTV Sports