Mills, Vettori, du Plessis fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

New Zealand players Kyle Mills and Daniel Vettori along with South Africa?s Francois du Plessis have all be found to have breached the ICC Code of Conduct following an incident during the third ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 quarter-final in Dhaka.

Mills has been fined 60 per cent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct which is a Level 2 offence relating to ?inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players?. He has also been fined a further 60 per cent of his fee for breaching Article 2.2.11 of the code, a Level 2 offence which relates to conduct that is ?contrary to the spirit of the game? or ?brings the game into disrepute?.

Vettori has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee, also for breaching Article 2.2.4 of the Code and a further 40 per cent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.1.8 which is a Level 1 offence that relates to conduct ?contrary to the spirit of the game? or ?brings the game into disrepute?.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2.4 of the code (a Level 2 offence).

The incidents occurred at the end of the 28th over of the South Africa innings when there was an altercation between du Plessis and some of the New Zealand players following the fall of a wicket. Mills, who was not in the playing 11 for New Zealand, was on the field as a water carrier as there had been a fall of wicket.

The charges were laid by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Rod Tucker, third umpire Kumar Dharmasena and fourth umpire Nigel Llong. They were considered by Roshan Mahanama from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees who imposed the sanctions.

Commenting on his findings, Mahanama said: ?It was a very important time of a crucial match for both sides but there is never any excuse for deliberate physical contact in international cricket.

?Vettori and Mills continued to act inappropriately and contrary to the spirit of the game throughout, hence the second charges were laid against them.

?In determining the punishment I have taken into consideration the fact that none of these players has previously been involved in similar breaches of the code.?

Mills pleaded not guilty to the charges and his case was thus considered in a full hearing by Mr Mahanama in the presence of the four umpires, Mills and the New Zealand team manager. He was found guilty after Mahanama heard oral submissions from Mills and the match officials and considered video evidence of the incident. Mills has a right to appeal both findings and has 24 hours from receipt of the decision to lodge a notice of appeal.

The other two players pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanction so there was no need for a formal hearing in respect to those charges.