ICC takes action against Reece Topley for furious chair-smashing outburst in WI vs ENG 1st T20I

England pacer Reece Topley was handed a hefty fine by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after expressing his frustration following a painful injury during the first T20I against the West Indies in Barbados.

The 30-year-old bowler was already plagued by multiple injuries throughout his career, and yet another blow led to an angry reaction during the live match. Actually, Reece Topley jarred his knee in his delivery stride, forcing him to abandon his over and exit the game after a brief attempt to continue post-rain delay in the first T20I in Barbados.

Reece Topley slapped with an ICC fine following his outburst in Barbados

As he made his way back to the pavilion, the England pacer’s frustration boiled over. The fast bowler reportedly picked up a chair and smashed it against the handrail of the staircase during the ongoing five-match T20I series opener between England and West Indies in Barbados last week.

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The incident was similar to his 2023 ODI World Cup outburst at the Wankhede Stadium when a broken finger ended his tournament. However, Reece Topley escaped punishment for his outburst during the ODI World Cup 2023, but this time, the ICC has imposed a fine of 15 percent of his match fee.

The ICC said in a statement: “Topley was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match.”

Reece Topley gets one demerit point after knee injury sparks frustration

Alongside the fine, Reece Topley has also received one demerit point on his record, which was his first disciplinary breach within the past two years. Topley accepted responsibility for his actions and the penalty set by Richie Richardson from the ICC's Emirates Elite Panel of Referees.

So, there is no need for a formal hearing. The incident was reported by on-field umpires Leslie Reifer and Zahid Bassarath, as well as third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Deighton Butler.

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Under ICC guidelines, Level 1 violations may result in an official reprimand, fines of up to 50% of a player's match fee, and the addition of one or two demerit points to the player's record.

Notably, if a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month time, these points convert into suspension points, resulting in a ban. However, this was Topley's first offense.

Reece Topley's recent injury history in brief

However, the extent of Topley's latest injury remains unclear, but it was significant enough to keep him out of the second T20I match in Barbados, where the England team secured a seven-wicket victory to take a 2-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. Now, it remains to see whether Topley return for the third T20I in Saint Lucia on November 15.

Notably, the latest knee injury adds to a long list of injuries in Topley’s career, which has seen him battle a potentially career-ending stress fracture in his back and a sprained ankle from a boundary accident during a practice game in Brisbane, which forced him to miss England's victorious 2022 T20 World Cup campaign.