Curran ‘deeply regrets’ umpire incident in BBL

Sydney Sixers all-rounder Tom Curran said he “deeply regrets” the incident which resulted in him receiving a four-match ban for intimidating an umpire.

The 28-year-old England player lost an appeal against his punishment.

“I have had a lot of time to reflect on my actions and the incident,” said Curran.

“My preparation for every fixture is deeply methodical and my focus is intense during the warm-up.

“Part of my preparation is to do a run through and gauge my run up on that particular surface. I’ve done this before every match and for me it’s part of my routine for every match.

“The interaction with umpire Muhammad Qureshi took me by surprise at a time when I was very focused on my pre-match routine. I didn’t expect the stand-off that resulted.

“I deeply regret the way I reacted to it and the resultant impact for umpire Qureshi, the Sydney Sixers and myself personally.”

In the build-up to the match on 11 December, the fourth umpire – who is tasked with supervising the pitch – asked Curran not to run on the pitch.

But CA’s code of conduct commissioner Adrian Anderson found that Curran then “attempted to perform a practice run-up and run at pace straight towards the umpire, who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran. The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision”.

The incident was deemed to be “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an umpire or match referee” under the CA code.

According to the BBL’s rules, only the captain and team coach are permitted to walk on the pitch to assess its condition prior to the start of play, with spiked footwear also not allowed before the match.

“My intention was always to veer off to umpire Qureshi’s right, in a similar way to my run up at the other end,” added Curran.

“I had never considered running into him and never considered that he would think that was my intention.

“However, on reflection, I should have repositioned my run up a metre or so to my left. I would not do the same if the situation arose again, and I am sorry.”

Curran said he is looking forward to returning to action for the Sixers on 3 January against Brisbane Heat after having his appeal dismissed.

“Umpires are part of the lifeblood of cricket,” said Alistair Dobson, CA’s BBL general manager.

“It is essential they are respected and appreciated by players at all levels of the game.

“We acknowledge the remorse Tom’s shown following the appeal and look forward to seeing him back in Sixers colours.

“Tom has been a long-time contributor to the BBL and is a clear fan-favourite and someone we hope will continue to play an integral role in the competition moving forward.”