Yorkshire’s Shahzad reprimanded for pitch damage

YORKSHIRE and England seamer Ajmal Shahzad was today severely reprimanded, warned as to his future conduct and fined £750 for scuffing the pitch in an LV= County Championship match.

Shahzad, out of favour for England and largely out of form for his county this summer, admitted the offence in Yorkshire’s penultimate Division One match of the season against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The England and Wales Cricket Board took into account, on a day when their disciplinary panel also considered a charge of deliberate physical contact with an opposing player against Gloucestershire’s ex-international bowler Jon Lewis, that Shahzad immediately admitted his guilt at the time and apologised to the umpires.

The 26-year-old pace bowler’s deep regret and previously exemplary record also helped him escape without disciplinary points under the ECB code.

Lewis, already penalised three points over the incident in Gloucestershire’s Division Two match against Essex at Colchester last month, had also been disciplined independently by his county.

The ECB panel therefore concluded that no further action was necessary against him.