Proteas captain Faf du Plessis has moved to downplay the coming together with previously sanctioned Jos Buttler at the Wanderers.
Du Plessis appeared to irk the English bowlers, not only for his resistance alongside Rassie van der Dussen, but also by moving to pick up the ball during his knock of 35.
The frustrated English side took exception to Du Plessis handing back the ball and at one point he was hit on the pads by a throw from Sam Curran.
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Tensions bubbled over and visuals appeared to show the hosts’ captain walk into Buttler as a war of words erupted between the batsman and a number of fielders. Du Plessis was dismissed shortly afterwards when a ball from Ben Stokes kept low.
‘That’s part of my character. If you go back you’ll find I’m always involved in a little bit of something in a game, trying to show that fight as a leader of the team to show you don’t stand back to opposition,’ he said.
‘It’s not like I’m looking for it but if it comes across my way I won’t back down. So that was just him [Broad] saying something to me and me saying something back.
‘I don’t think either Jos or myself knew we touched each other.
‘It was just myself and Broady having a go at each other at that stage and it was him trying to get between me and him. There was no malicious intent.’
The ICC’s code of conduct states that ‘any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, players will breach this regulation if they deliberately, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another player or umpire’.
Such an incident is considered either a level-one or level-two offence and carries a maximum penalty of four demerit points, which would also bring an automatic suspension.
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