Australia vs Pakistan 2019 : James Pattinson suspended for violating Code of Conduct policy

What's the story?

Cricket Australia has suspended James Pattinson for the first Test match against Pakistan as he violated the governing body’s Code of Conduct policy while playing for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield. The 29-year-old fast bowler committed the offence during his side’s game against Queensland.

The background

Pattinson has struggled a lot with injuries in his career. He had worked hard on his fitness standards before making a return to the Australian Test team during the 2019 Ashes series. The Aussie made it to the playing XI on two occasions against England, where he scalped 5 wickets.

The selectors had named him in the Test squad for the series against Pakistan, pursuant to his promising performances in the United Kingdom. However, his unethical behavior has earned him a one-match suspension.

The heart of the matter

"I made a mistake in the heat of the moment."🇦🇺 fast bowler James Pattinson has been found guilty of violating Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct policy ⬇️ https://t.co/bmHDflwEl6

— ICC (@ICC) November 17, 2019

A media release from Cricket Australia specified that the board regarded Pattinson’s offence as a Level Two contravention of the rule. Therefore, they barred him from taking part in the opening Test match of the Australian home season.

Though the exact details of the episode have not been made public, the release points out that the right-arm quick from Victoria has accepted the punishment. Also, he has issued an apology to the board. Talking about his mistake, Pattinson said:

I made a mistake in the heat of the moment. Straight away I realised I was in the wrong, and I apologised immediately, both to the opponent and to the umpires. I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I’m gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine.

What's next?

Though Pattinson will miss the first Test, the Australian side has the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Neser and Pat Cummins present in the squad. Thus, captain Tim Paine will have a stellar bowling unit to call upon, despite Pattinson's absence.