Ben Horne on why Sydney Sixers star Tom Curran should be banned for longer

It’s hard to wrap your head around the arrogance of Tom Curran and the Sydney Sixers, writes Ben Horne. Does the English star not know the rules? Cricket Australia needs to send a message.

The only change to Tom Curran’s ban for his appalling behaviour in the Big Bash should be that he gets more games not less.

It’s hard to wrap your head around the arrogance of the English import and the Sydney Sixers wanting to proceed with appealing his four-game suspension for intimidating reserve umpire Muhammad Quereshi, after the release of damning footage – and alleged audio – of the incident.

Presumably, the Sixers main motivation for declaring they will appeal is that Curran is only out here for the regular season, so therefore they have little to lose by rolling the dice and trying to argue his case for a downgrade.

But they should have something to lose.

You can’t disrespect the game like that, show zero contrition as a player and as a club, and expect no recourse.

Sydney Sixers star Tom Curran and the umpire from the incident in question. Picture: Channel 7

Cricket Australia ought to steal a leaf out of the rugby league judiciary handbook and give Curran more than four games if he fails with his appeal to the code of conduct commissioner.

SEN broadcaster Tom Morris reported on Friday morning that Curran told the umpire: “If you stand in the way I have nowhere go you f*** head.”

If that version of the exchange is corroborated by the stump mic audio, Curran should be copping four weeks for the disgraceful verbal abuse alone.

Remember, this isn’t the heat of the battle. It’s the warm-up.

Then there’s the obvious physical aspect of the intimidation, where Curran deliberately continues to run at an umpire who has clearly stationed himself at the crease to stop him from breaking the rules of the game by running on the pitch in warm-ups.

Perhaps the Sixers will try and argue the point made on Channel 7 by their former list manager Lisa Sthalekar that Curran may not have heard the umpire’s original warning given the sound of the voice-over man on the Blundstone Arena PA.

Even if that was true – Curran surely can’t argue he didn’t see the umpire standing in his path?

Curran bowling during the fixture against the Hurricanes. Picture: Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images

This isn’t Curran’s first game of cricket. He has been playing at the international level for a long time. Does he not know the rules?

Or is it that he doesn’t respect them, or the authority of reserve umpire Muhammad Quereshi?

Why is Curran so agitated about being given direction by a match official when the match hasn’t even started?

Curran’s actions appear inexcusable and Cricket Australia is rightfully sending a strong message about respecting umpires and officials.

And if Curran and the Sixers want to go ahead with an appeal, make it an even stronger one and give him six or eight games instead.

Originally published as Ben Horne on why Sydney Sixers star Tom Curran should be banned for longer