Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has weighed in on the incident between Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj during the second Border-Gavaskar Test in Adelaide, calling it a result of a “misinterpretation” and describing the whole situation as “accidental.”
Ponting’s comments came in response to the fiery exchange that took place on the field between the two players during Australia’s first innings.
Incident between Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head
The altercation unfolded in the 82nd over when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Travis Head for 140 with a stunning yorker.
Siraj’s reaction was aggressive, as he gave Head a fiery send-off and walked back towards the stands while gesturing passionately.
In response, Head fired back at Siraj before walking off to a standing ovation from the Adelaide crowd. This led to boos from the crowd whenever Siraj fielded or bowled in the deep, expressing their disapproval of his conduct.
Ponting’s view on the incident
Ponting, reflecting on the moment in the latest episode of the ICC Review, believes that the entire situation was unintentional. He stated, “Looking back at it now, I think it was accidental the way that whole thing played out. I don’t think there was any malice meant at the start.” He further explained that the exchange likely stemmed from a misinterpretation of the events, which escalated the situation.
Ponting also pointed out that Siraj’s fiery reaction was not surprising for a fast bowler under pressure. At that point, Siraj had only one wicket, and his emotions seemed to spill over after being hit for a six by Head on the previous ball. “When they’re under the pressure and they’re getting hit and then they’ve just got a wicket, you’d expect that they’d be up and about,” Ponting remarked.
However, Ponting admitted that he was concerned for Mohammed Siraj after the exchange. He recalled, “As soon as I saw the send-off, I actually got worried for Siraj. I know how the umpires react to those things.”
Despite the tension on the field, the situation appeared to be resolved when the two players were seen chatting amicably during the second innings. Siraj came to bat while Travis Head was standing at short leg, and the two seemed to clear the air, discussing what had transpired.
Ponting praised the players for quickly settling the matter, saying, “It was great to see them actually chatting.”
Following the incident, both Siraj and Head received a demerit point each for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
