ICC sanctions Prabath Jayasuriya for outburst during Colombo Test
Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya was sanctioned by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday for a Level 1 breach after an outburst during the second ICC World Test Championship Test against India in Colombo on Monday. The ICC recorded the incident under its Code of Conduct and treated it as a first offence within the last 24 months for the player.
The breach fell under Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to the inappropriate use or abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment or fixtures during an international match. The incident occurred at the end of the day's play after Jayasuriya was dismissed off the final delivery by India's Manav Suthar, when the Sri Lankan left‑arm spinner struck the boundary wedges with his bat as he walked back to the pavilion. Jayasuriya admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so no formal hearing was required.
The charge was brought by on‑field umpires Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, with third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth official Prageeth Rambukwella also involved in the process. Because Jayasuriya accepted both the charge and the punishment, the matter was completed without a hearing.
Jayasuriya is the third player from the Colombo Test to be sanctioned by the ICC. Earlier in the match, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando were each fined 25 per cent of their match fees and handed one demerit point for an altercation on the opening day.
The confrontation between Jaiswal and Fernando took place in the 17th over of India's first innings after Fernando dismissed Jaiswal; the two exchanged words, Fernando moved his head towards Jaiswal and Jaiswal then leaned in, resulting in their heads making contact.
Level 1 offences are the least serious category under the ICC Code of Conduct; depending on the circumstances a player can receive an official reprimand, a fine of up to 50 per cent of the match fee and one or two demerit points. In Jayasuriya's case the ICC imposed an official reprimand and one demerit point.
India declared their first innings at 503, with centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel helping post the total, and then struck early with the ball to leave Sri Lanka seven wickets down; India remain firmly in control of the second Test.
