The T20 World Cup has had its first bubble breach of the tournament and it is English umpire Michael Gough who has been caught out.
The former Durham batsman has emerged as one of the best umpires in the international game, but he will take no further part in the tournament after finishing his six day quarantine enforced by the ICC Bio-Security Committee for breaking the bubble in the UAE.
ICC officials are still investigating the full extent of his breach, but Mirror Sport understands that Gough left his hotel without permission on Friday to meet with people outside of the officials’ bubble.
The breach came to the ICC’s attention and the same protocols that are in place for players swung into action as Gough was placed in strict quarantine.
An ICC spokesperson said: “The Bio-Security Advisory Committee has instructed Umpire Michael Gough to isolate for six days due to a breach of the event bio-security protocols.”
And in a statement on Wednesday the ICC added: "The ICC today confirmed that umpire Michael Gough will not be appointed to any further matches during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 following a breach of the bio-security protocols.
"The ICC recognises the extended periods he has spent in bio-secure conditions over the past two years and will continue to support the wellbeing of all match officials operating in this environment."
The T20 World Cup is the first major multi team tournament to take place since the outbreak of the pandemic, and tournament organisers are making sure everything possible is being done to keep it safe.
Gough was due to officiate on the field the game between India and New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday, but was replaced by Marais Erasmus and was instead confined to his room where he was tested every other day.
Once free to return into the community, Gough would have been able to resume his umpiring duties, but instead he faced further sanction by the ICC.
The officials are being treated the same way as the players when it comes to disciplinary matters and Gough has found himself out of a tournament in which he had a decent chance of being involved in the semi-finals and final.
Gough impressed in the summer of 2020 when he got the chance to umpire Test matches involving England for the first time.
He was the TV umpire in Southampton when international cricket first got underway during the pandemic after which Jofra Archer broke England’s bubble protocols by heading home instead of going straight to Old Trafford.
