Prabath Jayasuriya’s Frustration Costs Him: ICC Takes Action After Colombo Antics
ICC has officially sanctioned Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya with one demerit mark and reprimanded him for hitting the boundary marker with his bat in the second Test against India in Colombo.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reprimanded Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya for his behavior in the second Test against India in Colombo. On the second day, Jayasuriya hit the boundary markers with his bat as he walked to the pavilion after being bowled out and ultimately was convicted of a Level 1 breach in the ICC Code of Conduct.
This incident relates to Article 2.2: Use or misuse of cricket equipment/ground fixtures. There was no formal hearing as Jayasuriya admitted the same and took the proposed sanctions from ICC Match Referee Andy Pycroft.
It marked his first demerit point in his record, an official reprimand, and his first offence in 24 months. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando got each a fine of 25% of match fees and 1 demerit point on day 1 after their brawl.
Our Take
The reaction by Jayasuriya was most certainly grounded in frustration, but that's not the behaviour expected from a player to damage ground equipment or hit on it. The sanctions laid down by the ICC are suitable, given the relatively minor nature of the incident the player had in mind. One demerit point was the punishment, and the player was issued an official reprimand by the ICC. With tensions already high in the Test, players will need to maintain their composure as the match progresses.