01 February 2023 , 15:01
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Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have criticised the ICC for penalising Sam Curran over his reaction to dismissing South Africa captain Temba Bavuma.
Curran has been fined 15 percent of his match fee and handed a demerit point after the ICC found his celebration, after Bavuma was bowled for 109 in the second ODI between England and South Africa, to have been "excessive".
They claimed it was "an action which had the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from Bavuma". However, both Atherton and Hussain believe the ICC "should be more relaxed" over what was "an instinctive reaction" to a big wicket in the context of the game.
"I think that's emerging organically out of red-blooded action and it's an instinctive reaction," Atherton said on Sky Sports. "He doesn't say anything. I don't have a problem with that.
"I think the ICC should be more relaxed. It was very similar to Kagiso Rabada [who was banned for a Test in 2020 over the way he celebrated dismissing Joe Root]. Rabada didn't say anything, he just screamed and it was [Root] he got out and he was hit with a ban, missed the next game.
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"I think when it just emerges organically and it's instantaneous, you have to give the players a little bit of leeway. If it's constant and abusive then fine, you step in. We watched that live and none of us thought that was a problem."
Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have defended Curran (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Hussain, meanwhile, added: "It's so easy sitting on a sofa or sitting there with a phone and tweeting [to forget] the emotion of a moment. You're going around the park, the blokes just taken you for a hundred... these are not robots.
"They're playing for their country, they're losing, they're not playing particularly well... I think we ask a lot of our cricketers. If he keeps doing it throw the book at him, but never ever take emotion out of sport.
"In the heat of battle you do things that you may not do in the cold light of day." England ultimately lost the match by five wickets, losing the series with a game to spare.