Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate

Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Dimuth Karunaratne's side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration

Dubai: Sri Lanka have been fined 40 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate against the West Indies in the third ODI in Antigua, the ICC said on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka was also reprimanded for giving a send-off to Nicholas Pooran in the match on Sunday which the West Indies won by five wickets.
Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Dimuth Karunaratne’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

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“In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time,” the ICC said in a statement.

“In addition, as per Article 12.9.1 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Playing Conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, Sri Lanka will lose two points from their points tally during the Super League,” it added.

Karunaratne pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. Gunathilaka has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the same match.

Gunathilaka was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”

“In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Gunathilaka, for whom it was the first offence in a period of 24 months,” the ICC said.

The incident occurred in the 35th over of West Indies’ innings, when Gunathilaka used inappropriate language towards Pooran upon his dismissal. Gunathilaka admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Nigel Duguid levelled the charges.