South Africa defeats: Indian manager pays price for blaming umpire

E-Paper | June 17, 2026

NEW DELHI: India's manager Vinod Phadke has been fined 40 per cent of his undisclosed match fees for making “inappropriate comments” about umpire Vineet Kulkarni, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday.

Phadke was quoted in local media as saying that wrong decisions by Kulkarni were to blame for India's defeat to South Africa in the T20 match in Dharamsala on October 2 and the first one-dayer in Kanpur on October 11.

Phadke was found to have breached the ICC Code of Conduct for players and support staff which relates to “public criticism or inappropriate comments” against a match official, the ICC said in a statement.

ICC match referee Chris Broad conducted a formal hearing after Wednesday's second one-dayer in Indore since Phadke pleaded not guilty to the charge, the statement added.

Indian team managers are appointed on a series-by-series basis to help in administrative matters while the coaching staff concentrate on cricketing issues.

India's Kulkarni, 36, has been umpiring international matches since 2012 and has so far officiated in 19 one-day internationals and seven T20 matches.

India is the only Test-playing nation that opposes the use of Decision Review System for umpires during bilateral matches, insisting the technology used is not 100 per cent accurate.

India lost two T20 games against South Africa, while the third was washed out. The five-match one-day series is locked 1-1.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Sport

HBL PSL 2024: United edge Kings in high-stakes encounter

Babar Azam slammed for poor captaincy

All to play for after Australia, England clash washed out

nzf

Oct 15, 2015 03:29pm

what about 2nd odi and the wicket of behardin?

Recommend 0

MD. RAKIBUL ISLAM

Oct 15, 2015 03:35pm

India should now give noble prize to their umpire kulkarni regarding Behardien out.

Recommend 0

Dipak Singh

Oct 15, 2015 03:46pm

Mr. Kulkarni's umpire is not up to the mark or not International stander. Anyway it is part of the game, we should except it whether we lose or win.

Recommend 0

nzf

Oct 15, 2015 03:48pm

he indirectly said its time to ok DRS..

Recommend 0

Neutral

Oct 15, 2015 03:49pm

Indians are following Bangladeshi cricket board

Recommend 0

Roy

Oct 15, 2015 03:50pm

Boring game full of boring people!

Recommend 0

Mahen

Oct 15, 2015 03:51pm

wrong decisions by Kulkarni were to blame for India's defeat to South Africa in the T20 match in Dharamsala on October 2 and the first one-dayer in Kanpur on October 11. Whats wrong with telling the facts as they are! NO ONE can deny his decisions were wrong! If anyone thinks the decesions were right- see the video of the incidents then comment

Recommend 0

Mahen

Oct 15, 2015 03:52pm

@NZF- 2nd odi and the wicket of behardin was correct decesion- see video in slow motion

Recommend 0

SUV

Oct 15, 2015 03:54pm

Every match has share of good or bad decisions and both teams have faced it but still all matches were very competitive and hope for a cracker of series ahead

Recommend 0

Asad

Oct 15, 2015 03:57pm

And why did the ICC introduce the DRS again. India avoiding DRS out of sheer arrogance for their earlier false call, is surely as big a mystery to Indian fans as every one else.

Recommend 0

PHILOSOPHER (from Japan)

Oct 15, 2015 04:14pm

Every defeat has some reasons in the minds of losers.

Recommend 0

Vir

Oct 15, 2015 04:24pm

@PHILOSOPHER (from Japan) Going your way Pakistan should be spending half the time thinking of the reasons because for a time they have been loosing a lot.

Recommend 0

Jaswinder Singh

Oct 15, 2015 04:29pm

Indian team is done.

Recommend 0

A common Pakistani

Oct 15, 2015 04:37pm

well deserved defeats

Recommend 0

Shaam سے

Oct 15, 2015 04:40pm

You must give it to ICC, they are fair when it comes to penalizing people.

Recommend 0

Abdulla Hussain

Oct 15, 2015 05:50pm

Its so surprising, really strange the way Indians behave after loosing.

Recommend 0

Dipak Singh

Oct 15, 2015 06:16pm

@Abdulla Hussain No we are not behave bad after losing. We never blame to Against team SA for that like tiny nations does in WC. it is human errors its happen.

Recommend 0

Oct 15, 2015 06:24pm

Why is India never happy. When they lose they blame the umpiring.They still don't want technology because it is not 100%. Makes no sense. An umpire is never 100% either and COULD be bias. However, technology is NEVER bias and will give the same results always.

Recommend 0

Jay

Oct 15, 2015 07:25pm

It has been a very old tradition in India, when they lose a match they either blame the umpiring, or their crowd sets the stadium on fire, and sometimes even attack the players and their families. It is not the manager's job to blame officials because this further incites general public who get violent. Keep the sports as enjoyable as possible and not make it a matter of life and death.

Recommend 0

Tahir A

Oct 15, 2015 07:38pm

It was scripted that India should win the second ODI even though SA were in good control from the first ball. THat's how the game is dictated by accountants with a business motive only. I am afraid this is now the shape of cricket made as colourful and unreal as Bollywood films.

Recommend 0

KUMAR

Oct 15, 2015 07:51pm

@Tahir A people like you always love to comment irrespective of your knowledge of related topic. The article is about poor umpiring and the fine that is imposed on the Manager. As u are aware that the second ODI was scripted please tell us who will win the remaining ODIs and test matches so that we already know the result and dont waste time sitting in front of television.

Recommend 0

Prakash Puthalath

Oct 15, 2015 08:00pm

It was a bad decision by the umpire (as can be seen in the video), but these things happen, we have to accept.

Recommend 0

Riz

Oct 15, 2015 08:11pm

Indians umpires always have issues making right decision but in ICC world you can't highlight anything because honesty is not the best policy in ICC dictionary. Look at umpire Ravi (TV umpire) decision to give Misbah out in first test against England or how Zimbabwe players walked away in 2nd ODI against Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Seine

Oct 15, 2015 08:51pm

Now if a pakistani umpire would have done that, he would have been barred from playing uptil now. But when India does something, everyone looks the other way.

Recommend 0

syed wasim haider

Oct 15, 2015 09:11pm

Things are getting so bad that Indian players' safety is at stake if they are defeated. Cricket fans in India must kwow that no team in the world is unbeatable. Just think Bengladesh beating england in World Cup.

Recommend 0

Bhaijan

Oct 15, 2015 09:14pm

Indian Cricket is like a spoilt child. It has to be a mature outfit and its officials and team should be trained and taught the value of accepting defeat gracefully and not gloating too much when it wins. Besides they should take advantage of technology to avoid human errors.

Recommend 0

Shahid Khan

Oct 15, 2015 09:47pm

India is the only cricketing nation that opposes the use of Decision Review System (DRS) out of sheer arrogance is a mystery for cricket fans around the globe. By insisting that the DRS technology is not 100% accurate then why do they complain if umpire makes a wrong decision against them and not say a word when it goes against the opposing team. That is what you call double standards.

Recommend 0

Hasan

Oct 15, 2015 10:53pm

For decades, cricket has been distinguished for the level of respect given to umpiring decisions. What a huge surprise that it's hindustan that ruins this tradition. The problem is that when the bollywood music finishes and the self-created hype dies down, hindustan is still a mediocre team. The coaches, players and fans are all so caught up in their own comical mythology though, that they get enraged when reality strikes in the form of a defeat by a superior team. Deal with it. Hasan

Recommend 0

Saani

Oct 15, 2015 11:44pm

@Mahen check out the decisions that went for Indian favour I.e. Behardin. The real reason why India don't want DRS because they can bully the umpires in this manner to get more decisions in their favour that's all they're nothing but bullies...

Recommend 0

reddy

Oct 16, 2015 01:49am

this is silly..the umpiring standard was very poor and ICC is penalizing official for calling spade a spade. And why is this a sensational news. People if you notice closely all the incidents where subcontinental team is penalized is headed by Eng or Aussie Chris Broad and David Boon are notorious and are happy to pull the trigger when it involves people of color. When are we going to qn them? Only Sunny Gavaskar is gutsy to call this out. As far as people go, India is happy if Pak is penalized and Pak is rejoices if Ind is penalized. Now Bangladesh wants to start a rivalry with Ind & Pak - dont know why..they just want to be in the mix :P

Recommend 0

Valar Morgulis

Oct 16, 2015 03:59am

@Mahen No one is saying decisions were right. But he was an Indian umpire so go raise hell with BCCI.

Recommend 0

Namo

Oct 16, 2015 04:01am

@Tahir A Pakistan team employs a lot of accountants.

Recommend 0

Namo

Oct 16, 2015 04:05am

@Hasan mediocre team that stuffed you in the 2014 WC on the way to the semi finals.Which team is mediocre?

Recommend 0

Oct 16, 2015 06:21am

Its mind boggling for me that India does not allow DRS because its not 100%, but the complain they have lodged it now is based on DRS decision! Almost, any complaint against umpiring decision will be based on DRS, so why to use it after the incident for criticizing umpire decisions. I think Indian shall not allow to even see on TV the decision based on DRS. If you allow it, it will create controversies.

Recommend 0

INDIAN

Oct 16, 2015 08:44am

Game is great leveler wrong decisions made teams to loose matches as well as win them. .by taking names he became specific and rightly punished

Recommend 0

INDIAN

Oct 16, 2015 08:48am

@nzf even without behardins wicket India had upper hand on match but lost dharmashala t20 and first one dayer due to poor Umpiring. So over all lost more than gained

Recommend 0

INDIAN

Oct 16, 2015 08:55am

Accept it and move on unlike many other countries we have lot of other things look for. ..soccer league is really of high standard this time. Tennis of course is doing well.vijender Singh won his first pro bout so we have lot of things.

Recommend 0

Roger Patrick

Oct 16, 2015 10:07am

@Hasan ...."hindustan is still a mediocre team. The coaches, players and fans are all so caught up in their own comical mythology though, that they get enraged..." this comment of yours applies to your nations team which is not very popular across the world and only lower level teams want to play it. Mediocre is a word that best sums up your team which is fit for only playing Zimbabwe and the likes, not Australia and the likes...once outside the UAE flat pitches and out in SA and Australia....your team will be exposed lock stock and barrel....mediocre will then hit you...we have seen that in their performances in these nations pitches...

Recommend 0

A foreigner

Oct 16, 2015 11:27am

No Indians should be umpire without qualification. ICC should not take pressure from BCCi

Recommend 0

Hasan

Oct 16, 2015 05:23pm

@Roger Patrick Of course...low level teams such as England, who are playing Pakistan right now. :) It's no surprise that the truth scolded you slightly - your reaction is the same childish one that landed your coach in such hot water. It's even more embarrassing that you guys brag about a single victory in the recent World Cup - just before Australia destroyed you! Why not tell me what the overall stats between hindustan and Pakistan are? No? Thought not. Hasan

Recommend 0

Branded Content

K&N's SmartCooking Recipes: Sausage and Bean Soup

A hearty sausage and bean soup brimming with vegetables, herbs and a rich tomato-infused broth.

Why SQD-Mini LED is the display breakthrough we’ve been waiting for?

The display industry is entering a new phase, where reducing trade-offs is as important as pushing performance limits.

The Palms at Silk Gardens introduces a new family address in Karachi

The Palms places families at the heart of its vision, offering thoughtfully planned 2 and 3-bedroom units in a secure, peaceful and community-led environment.