The International Cricket Council handed a two-match suspension to Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga for breach of ICC’s Code of Conduct on Saturday, February 24. Hasaranga criticised the umpire’s decisions during the third T20I game against Afghanistan in Dambulla on Wednesday attracting a suspension with a 50 per cent fine and three demerit points from the ICC.
Hasaranga criticised the umpire’s decision after the conclusion of the third T20I game against Afghanistan on Wednesday, breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The ICC also penalised Afghanistan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct in the same match
Hasaranga’s total demerit points reached five resulting in a two-match suspension while Gurbaz received a 15 per cent fine on his match fee and one demerit point.
“Hasaranga was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “Personal abuse of a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match,” ICC statement said. “Both players admitted to the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. Consequently, formal hearings were deemed unnecessary. The charges were brought forth by on-field umpires Lyndon Hannibal and Raveendra Wimalasiri, third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, and fourth umpire Ranmore Martinez.”
Hasaranga slammed umpired Lyndon Hanibal’s decision to not give a no-ball in the final over of the third game during his post-match presentation speech. Hasaranga even went on to say the ‘umpire should do much better if he did another job’.
“If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job,” Hasaranga told broadcasters after the 3rd T20I against Afghanistan on Wednesday. “There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that. Our batsmen tried to review that. If the third umpire is able to check the front-foot no-ball, he should check this kind of no-ball as well. There’s no reason why they can’t. They didn’t do even that, so I’m not sure what was going on in his (the square-leg umpire’s) mind at the time.”