Buttler could escape sanction for verbal abuse directed at Philander
England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has yet to be charged by match officials for his verbal abuse of Vernon Philander on day five of the second Test against South Africa.
The International Cricket Council have five days to level charges against Buttler, though such charges would normally be filed after the umpires make their report to the match referee.
It seems likely that Buttler will escape sanction after he was heard calling Vernon Philander a “fat fucking knobhead” after an inaudible exchange between the South African allrounder and the wicketkeeper.
Watch Buttler’s sledge
Inconsistency from the ICC
The match referee and the ICC power structures generally only act on reports from on-field and TV umpires, although there have been cases where infringements have been brought to their attention by television broadcasts such as the infamous sandpaper ball-tampering incident involving Cameron Bancroft.
In 2017 Kagiso Rabada missed the second Test on the tour of England after picking up a demerit for his send-off of Ben Stokes in the first Test of that series. Rabada was heard through the stump mics as he shouted “Fuck off” at the batsman after claiming his wicket. Rabada’s suspension was not solely based on that action as he had already picked up three demerits before the incident.
Buttler does not currently have any demerits on his record with the points he earned in a 2016 clash with a Bangladesh having falling away. The standard sanction for an audible obscenity would be a single demerit plus a fine. He will not miss any action even if he is given the maximum punishment.
The ICC has strict rules in place that prevent supporters from verbally abusing players, with any reports of player abuse taken seriously and fans guilty of such action being removed from the ground, fined and given a ban from attending matches.
The reaction
Reaction to the incident has been mixed with Dale Steyn tweeting simply “Well, that was loud and clear,” in response to the video.
The likes of Kevin Pietersen defended Buttler, tweeting: “LOTS having a go at @josbuttler here! LEAVE HIM ALONE! This is Test Cricket, and believe me, this is nothing compared to lots that goes on, on the field. Series is alive big time! END OF!”
Indian commentator Harshe Bogle simply said “What a pity.”
Determining the line between sledging/banter and verbal abuse has been a difficult task for the ICC with many players and fans keen to keep the game from being sanitized unnecessarily. However the governing body and its officials must ensure they do their best to make sure consistency is maintained.
The series is level at 1-1 after two matches.
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