Ben Stokes fined and handed demerit point for abusing a fan

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England all-rounder Ben Stokes fell into yet another controversy after he abused a spectator during the ongoing Test between South Africa and England in Johannesburg. Stokes lost his cool after a fan hurled abuses at the all-rounder while he was walking towards the England dressing room after being dismissed.

ben-stokes-fined-by-iccThe fan reportedly likened him to singer Ed Sheeran and abused him. Stokes didn’t take it tool well and responded with “Come say that to me outside the ground, you f***ing four-eyed c***.” And, it was enough for the England all-rounder to get charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Andy Pycroft, the ICC match referee charged Stokes with a Level One Offence – the use of an audible obscenity. There was no need for a full hearing since Stokes admitted to the offence. Following the incident, however, Stokes had apologised for his ‘unprofessional reaction.’

ben-stokes-fine-for-foul-rant-on-fanStokes apologised via his twitter handle – “I wish to apologise for my language that was heard on the live broadcast today after my dismissal. I should not have reacted in that way. As I was leaving the playing area, I was subjected to repeated abuse from the crowd.”

“I admit that my reaction was unprofessional, and I sincerely apologise for the language I used, especially to the many young fans watching the live telecast around the world. Throughout the Tests so far, the support from both sets of fans (England and South Africa) has been brilliant. One incident will not ruin such a competitive series, which we are determined to win,” he tweeted.

Due to the Level 1 offense, Stokes will lose 15% of his match-fee and will also have one demerit point added to his account. However, the all-rounder does not have any previous demerit points in the current 24-month period.

Meanwhile, England are in total control of the fourth Test. After putting up a huge total of 400 in the first innings, they have wrecked down the South Africa batting department. The hosts ended the day with 88/6 and they still trail by 312 runs. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope scored the fifties for England while Stokes was departed for 2 runs.