New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee for two breaches of the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct during his team's series-clinching defeat of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Mills was charged by match officials with three offences arising
from an incident late in the seven-run win.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to using obscene language when an appeal for the caught behind dismissal of Mohammad Aamer was turned down in the penultimate over. Aamer, who scored an unbeaten 73, had carried Pakistan within sight of victory at that stage.
Mills pleaded not guilty to two other charges - showing dissent at the umpire's decision and excessive appealing.
However, match referee Andy Pycroft found Mills guilty of excessive appealing.
Each charge received a 10 per cent match fee fine.
"I fully accept it was a crucial moment in the match and the player was caught up in that excitement," Pycroft said.
"However, his actions went far beyond what is acceptable behaviour on the cricket field. He was heard to use an offensive expletive and clearly he was guilty of excessive appealing by celebrating a dismissal before the umpire had given his decision.
"I am content to dismiss the charge of dissent because I feel it is tied up with the other two offences and so it would be unfair to charge him with that as well."
Pycroft said the fines were relatively low because of Mills' good conduct record.
"And the fact that he is a senior member of a team that has shown itself to play consistently within the spirit of the game."
The charges were laid by match umpires Bruce Oxenford and Nadeem Ghauri, along with third umpire Zameer Haider and fourth official Ahsan Raza.
- NZPA
