Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques stated that he was surprised by Tom Curran’s Big Bash League (BBL) four-match suspension for ‘intimidating an umpire’. Tom Curran was reported by match referee Bob Parry for “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an Umpire” under Article 2.17 of the Code of Conduct.
Curran was seen running onto the pitch after performing a practice run-up. The umpire, who stood at the crease to protect the pitch, told him not to do it again. Curran ran in any way, avoiding the official at the last moment with evasive action. The England seamer has faced widespread criticism for his actions, but the Sydney Sixers intend to appeal his suspension, with Henriques claiming that “you can’t quite understand the context” by simply watching the video.
“I’ve seen the ten-second clip; it doesn’t look great butâæ you can’t quite understand the context there either,” he said. “There was a bit of communication before and after, [and] that probably hasn’t been released either.”
Despite his protests, Curran was found guilty and sentenced to a four-match suspension, which will keep him out of games against the Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Stars, Sydney Thunder, and Brisbane Heat. The dates of these matches range from December 26th to January 1st, representing a significant absence for the all-rounder, who was only available for nine home-and-away matches this season due to subsequent commitments with Desert Vipers in the ILT20 competition.
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, played with him at Surrey, [and] he’s been a big part of the Sixers for a long time,” he said. “He’s a great man, he’s a real leader in the community, [and] he’s a leader among our team. I’m still struggling to comprehend that sort of penalty for what he’s done.
Henriques defended Curran’s character, stating that the Sixers would support him.
“It’s been a pretty tough time for TC – the last 11 days – sitting on this and knowing what he’s like,” he said. “He’s taken it to heart; he’s really worried about the assassination of the character there. It’s a big claim. I’m wishing him the best. It took ten days to get a hearing in the first place, which is very unusual anyway. We’re definitely going to appeal. All of the players and all of our staff are behind him.”
