ICC caution Pietersen over dissent

England batsman Kevin Pietersen after his return to international cricket has been cautioned over his on-field behavior following his frustration in the third ODI at Ranchi.

Pietersen was given out by the umpire S Ravi on 17 for a caught behind appeal by the Indians. But he stayed on the crease for a while, showing his disbelief towards the decision made by the umpire. But one has to admit that umpiring was such a tough job at Ranchi where the entire crowd was behind Dhoni. However, Pietersen was unlucky to be judged out by umpire Ravi.

England’s one-day coach Ashley Giles also admitted that umpiring under packed house is a tough job. Also, Giles thought Andy Pycroft was the right man to have chat with Pietersen.

“Andy was right to speak to Kev,” Giles admitted, “but I think common sense prevailed. It was just a little word. I didn’t think it was a reaction, more disappointment from Kev.

“But we’ve got to be careful with reactions to decisions. It’s tough for the umpires here, it’s so loud that decision making is tough. We understand that.”

It’s important for players to maintain their discipline on-field and accept the decision of umpires. They must try to obey the ICC Code of Conduct which is an important quality of a good player. Even though the decision made by the umpire was wrong, as a player, accepting the decision is highly regarded as good quality.

Pietersen has just returned to International cricket after a controversy over his SMSes and he should have known not to show dissent on-field.