Hasaranga was punished for ‘ridiculed the umpires’ during the third ODI against Bangladesh
ESPNcricinfo Staff
Less than a day after Sri Lanka announced that Wanindu Hasaranga As he came out of Test retirement to join the team for a two-match series in Bangladesh, he found himself with an ICC sanction which meant he would not be able to take part in the series.
Hasaranga was punished for breaching Article 2.8 of the Players’ Code of Conduct, which relates to expressing dissent against the referee’s decision. An ICC press release issued on Tuesday said the incident occurred during the 37th over of the third and final ODI against Bangladesh when “he snatched his cap from one of the umpires and ridiculed the referee of the match. He was fined – 50% of his match fee – and three demerit points, which took his total demerits to eight, and when he reached eight he was forced to miss two Tests, four ODIs or four T20Is, whichever comes first. Had Hasaranga not come out of retirement for Tests, he would have missed Sri Lanka’s first four matches at the T20 World Cup.
This suspension follows a previous one which he received in February when, once again, he was not impressed by the refereeing. After Sri Lanka lost a close match to Afghanistan, where one of the on-field officials, Lyndon Hannibal, failed to signal a possible no-ball in the final, Hasaranga, who leads the team in the shortest format, turned to him in the press conference and said that it would be better if he found another job.
Sri Lanka’s ODI captain Kusal Mendis was also fined 50% and given three demerit points for “abusing the umpires by shaking their hands” at the end of the third ODI. Hasaranga and Mendis admitted their offenses and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft.
The first of the two Tests against Bangladesh begins on Friday in Sylhet. Sri Lanka’s rotating attack was to be centered around Hasaranga and Prabath Jayasuriya with Ramesh Mendis for support, but the suspension now brings Kamindu Mendis, who has played only one Test, and uncapped Nishan Peiris into the fray.