The Sri Lankan cricket team has been fined 20 per cent of their match fee during the second ODI against India played in Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium earlier this week. Sri Lanka lost that contest by three wickets to go down 0-2 in the three-match series.
The home team, led by Dasun Shanka, was found to have bowled one over short within the stipulated time-period set for completing their quota of 50 overs. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed the sanction after time allowances were taken into consideration.
The on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Lyndon Hannibal, third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge and fourth umpire Prageeth Rambukwella leveled the charge.
“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 media release on Thursday.
“In addition, as per Article 16.12.2 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 one point from their points tally during the Super League,” it added.
Shanaka pleaded guilty to the offence and has accepted the proposed punishment meaning no formal hearing was required.
After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a respectable 275/9 thanks to fifties from Charith Asalanka and opener Avishka Fernando. And they had India on the mat after reducing them to 160/6 and then 193/7 in 35.1 overs.
However, Deepak Chahar (69 not out) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (19 not out) resurrected India’s chase with an unbroken partnership of 84 runs for the eighth wicket snatching win from the jaws of defeat, a result that will go down as one of the touring side’s most memorable performances in ODI history.
With the win the Shikhar Dhawan-led India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The third and final ODI will be played on Friday.
