Netherlands pacer Vivian Kingma suspended for four matches for ball-tampering

Netherlands’ pacer Vivian Kingma has copped a four-match T20I/ODI ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for changing the condition of the ball during the third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series against Afghanistan in Doha on Tuesday.

Kingma, a right-arm fast bowler, had made his debut for the Netherlands in 2014 against Canada and has thus far played in 6 One-day International matches and 9 T20 International matches for the Dutch team. He has 8 wickets apiece in both formats of the game with his best bowling in ODIs being 3/21 and in T20Is being 2/44.

The 27-year-old Vivian Kingma was found to have breached Article 2.14 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “changing the condition of the ball in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and T20I Playing Conditions” during the third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series against Afghanistan in Doha on Tuesday. Apart from the four suspension points that resulted in the sanction, five demerit points have also been added to the disciplinary record of Kingma, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident occurred in the 31st over of Afghanistan’s innings, when the fast bowler changed the condition of the ball by scratching it with his nails. Kingma admitted to the offense and hence no formal hearing was needed. He accepted the sanction proposed by Wendell La Brooy of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations.

On-field umpires Ahmed Shah Pakteen and Ahmed Shah Durrani, third umpire Bismillah Jan Shinwari and fourth umpire Izatullah Safi leveled the charge. Level 3 breaches carry a penalty of between four and 12 suspension points and five or six demerit points. As each suspension point carries a ban from one One-day International match or one T20 International match, whatever comes first for the player or player support personnel, Vivian Kingma will miss the next four matches that the Netherlands play in either format.