India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, played a statement knock in the IND vs ENG 1st Test, scoring a blazing half-century with eight boundaries. With 215/2 in 51 overs till Tea on Day 1, India took the upper hand. But despite scoring big points on Test captaincy debut, Gill could face the ICC’s wrath for violating dress code regulations.
Ditching the traditional white socks with Test whites, Shubman Gill wore black socks. This is not permitted as per the International Cricket Council after recommendations from the MCC, which writes the laws of cricket.
What does the ICC say about black socks?
As per clause 19.45 of ICC’s Clothing and Equipment Rules and Regulations, a player must wear white, cream or light grey-colour socks in Test matches. But Shubman Gill chose to wear black. It clearly violates ICC’s rules, which came into effect in May 2023.
While not many have violated clothing and equipment regulations, Chris Gayle was fined 10% of his match fee for using a bat with a black blade in BBL 2016. However, that was not an ICC event.
Will Shubman Gill be fined?
The decision is on the match referee. If the IND vs ENG 1st Test match referee, Richie Richardson, makes a note of Shubman Gill’s dress code, the India Test captain could be fined. However, in this case, the match referee must note that it is a deliberate Level 1 offence. If that happens, Gill could end up paying around 10-20% as a fine.
However, if Gill’s decision was accidental or he did so as his white socks were wet, he could avoid fines. It is up to the match referee’s interpretation.
- Level 1 Offence: Fines range from 0% to 50% of match fees, with possible demerit points.
- Level 2 Offence: Fines of 50% to 100% of match fees and/or bans (e.g., 1 Test or 2 ODIs), though rare for clothing issues unless combined with other misconduct.
Past incidents
1. KL Rahul – Helmet Violation (2018): During the India vs Afghanistan Test match in 2018, KL Rahul was found wearing a helmet that did not comply with ICC safety and approval standards. The helmet lacked the required certification for international cricket. Rahul had to pay 10% of his match fee as a fine.
2. Chris Gayle – Unauthorised Bat (2016): West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle used a black-colored bat during a Big Bash League (BBL) match. As it violated the ICC’s logo and equipment policies, Gill had to pay a 10% fine.
3. Imam-ul-Haq – Unauthorised bat logo (2019): During the England vs Pakistan match in the World Cup 2019, Pakistani batsman Imam-ul-Haq was penalised for using a bat with an unauthorised commercial logo. He was fined 15% of the match fee.
4. Joe Root – Inappropriate Clothing (2021): England batter Joe Root had to pay a 15% fine for wearing a jersey with a rainbow-coloured emblem during a Test match against India in 2021 to support the LGBTQ+ community.
