Twitter rant leads to one-match suspension for Ashar Zaidi

Sussex County Cricket Club suspended Zaidi in accordance with disciplinary procedures.

London: May 1, 2014

Sussex cricketer Ashar Zaidi may be more inclined to vent his frustration with a few curt words in the sanctity of the dressing room in future after the county handed him a suspended one-match ban for his Twitter outburst at an umpire’s decision.

The Pakistani left-hander posted, “stinker,” adding the hashtag “wtf” after umpire Nigel Llong — a member of the International Cricket Council’s elite panel — gave him out caught behind off Somerset bowler Jamie Overton for 18 on Tuesday.

Sussex lost the First Division County Championship match by an innings and 11 runs on the final day of four at their Hove ground on Wednesday. A statement issued by the south coast club on Thursday said: “Following a Twitter-related incident concerning Ashar Zaidi on Tuesday 29th April…during the County Championship match against Somerset, Sussex County Cricket Club have disciplined Zaidi in accordance with the Club’s disciplinary procedures.”

“Ashar Zaidi has been given a suspended one match suspension for the 2014 season,” the statement added, with a team spokesman telling AFP the punishment would be activated should the 32-year-old Zaidi transgress again this campaign.

Sussex director of cricket Mark Robinson had previously told the Daily Telegraph: “He [Zaidi] should not be doing that. He can’t be doing that type of thing whether or not it was a good or bad decision. I did not think it [Zaidi’s reaction at the crease] was dissent. He was just desperately disappointed because he didn’t think he had hit the ball. I think the umpires have had a very good game but there is always the odd decision that doesn’t go your way but it is part of the game.”