Vaughan fined for comments re umpiring

[Occasional Fan]

Michael Vaughan has been fined 100% of his match fee following his comments about the umpiring at close of play yesterday. Reported by BBC World Service some ten minutes ago.

[Maranello]

100%? ouch! That is a trifle stiff, I would have thought 40 or 50% for a first offense should have sufficed.

[Occasional Fan]

I suggested 50% last evening, Maranello, but the message is clear enough: you criticise the umpires at your peril. I don't have much sympathy with him on this one.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

well people say the ICC are not tough enough. maybe its a sign of things to change

[Moss]

100%?! Absolutely ridiculous, a complete over-reaction.
Yes, he should have waited to cool down before making comments, but they weren't that bad, in comparison to other things that have happened in test matches.

[Maranello]

If other worse things have happened, they do not excuse all future bouts of ill-behaviour. I feel I am being too critical of one person today, so apologies to MPV, especially since he is one of the more decent cricketers around. However on this specific issue, his comments were ill-advised, and did merit punishment. Captains or players really should never, ever criticise the umpires either on the field or off it. These are my own sentiments, but I am sure the new ICC Code has something similar, and in recent matches, referees have tried to impose the various parts of the code, eg the severe punishments handed out to Akhtar and Kaneria for what were, compared to this, minor and more common infringements.

[Irish Left Armer]

I thought 100% was a bit harsh but it was obvious he was going to lose some of it. Any criticism of the umpires is well frowned upon.

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Moss

100%?! Absolutely ridiculous, a complete over-reaction.
Yes, he should have waited to cool down before making comments, but they weren't that bad, in comparison to other things that have happened in test matches.

Over reaction? If any one at all over reacted it was Michael Vaughan him self.

I get so annoyed with players when they break the ICC rules being fully aware of them - alright, may be Vaughany was withing his rights as an individual to be critical of the umpires, but being a professional player, knowing what the rules are, he shouldn't have come out and said it in public. Now that he has, he should pay for it.

100% is just fine with me.

[Alison]

I'm in two minds as to what to think about this, on the one hand, there is a rule that players are not permitted to publically criticise the umpires, and if a rule exists people who break it should be penalised, also I think that the rule is a good idea, and he shouldn't have said what he did publically. On the other hand, from what I've read about the day's play, he was telling the turth, and the umpires had them playing in worse conditions earlier in the day, but took them off for bad light when conditions were better in the evening, and all my instincts say that people shouldn't be penalised for telling the truth.

On a connected note, can anyone tell me what procedures there are for teams to make complaints (privately but officially) about the umpiring?

[jot1]

i heard captains write a match report after and they are allowed to point out grievances about the umpires in that. is this true does anyone know?