Big Bash League (BBL) team Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey has been fined AUD2000 by Cricket Australia (CA) for acting contrary to the Spirit of Cricket.

Hussey was found breaching a level one of Article 2.23 of CA’s Code of Conduct after the coach joked he was trying to gain a competitive advantage by wearing spikes during a pitch inspection before a BBL 09 match between Melbourne Stars and Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday (January 22).

During the ninth over of the BBL 09 match, the 42-year-old joked in a television interview that he had worn spiked footwear on the pitch before the match and CA’s laws says “prior to the start of play, only the captain and team coach may walk on the pitch to assess its condition and spiked footwear is not permitted at this time.”

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However, Hussey wasn’t found guilty by independent code-of-conduct commissioner Adrian Anderson of breaching Article 2.18 of attempting to gain an unfair advantage, as he had not worn spiked shoes, but he accepted the offense that his comments were against the spirit of the sport.

In a statement, CA said: “Stars coach David Hussey has been fined $2,000 for a level one breach of Article 2.23 of Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct for acting contrary to the Spirit of Cricket.”

On the other hand, Hussey said: “You want to dot every, I and cross every t and try to get the competitive advantage over the opposition. These comments were made in jest and in a light-hearted moment with the commentators.”

He signed off by saying, “I never intended to suggest that I had in any way broken the rules of the game. I realize that my comments, broadcast to our fans and supporters, may have undermined the Spirit of Cricket and for this, I apologize.”

(With Reuters Inputs)