Mohammed Siraj Vs Travis Head: Indian Fined But Not The Australian, Why? Know ICC's Code of Conduct And Penalty

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series has been no short of controversies over the years and the latest inclusion to that list is that of Mohammed Siraj's rift with Aussie batter Travis Head. The duo were involved in heated altercation during on the second day of the 2nd IND vs AUS Test in Adelaide. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)

Siraj, who was smacked for a boundary, bowled Head the very next delivery with the former giving the Aussie southpaw a fiery send-off. Head did not like that and gave it back to the Indian pacer.

Head later claimed that he had said "well bowled" to the bowler, with Siraj disputing this, stating that the Aussie's comments were uncomplimentary.

This resulted in Siraj being booed at the Adelaide Oval crowd and furthermore, both the cricketers received sanctions from the ICC.

Siraj and Head were held guilty of breaching the world body's code of conduct following a disciplinary hearing on Monday. "Siraj has been penalised 20 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel," the ICC said in a statement

However, Head escaped a fine for breaching the rule that relates to the "abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international match."

"Both admitted their offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle," the ICC said.

Siraj and Head also received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records, marking their first offence in the last 24 months.

Why Did Siraj Face A Heavier Punishment?

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) call to impose a heavy fine on Siraj came from the fact of his actions on the field. Article 2.5 violations are considered serious as they have a potential to provoke an on-field confrontation, that disrupts a game's decorum.

Siraj's heated send-off to Head was deemed provocative, that escalated the situation. However, Head's actions, which were also deemed a breach of conduct, were viewed less provocative by the ICC.

Also, the apex body's primary focus remains the bowlers as they often remain the prime instigators of overzealous reactions, and are often fined than batters.

The two teams are tied 1-1 in the five-match series with the third Test set to be played on December 14, Saturday at Brisbane.