ICC charges Sri Lankan captain, coach and manager for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson on Tuesday charged Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha with a breach of Article 2.3.1, a Level 3 offence, which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.

The three have been charged for their involvement in the Sri Lanka cricket team’s refusal to take to the field in St Lucia at the start of Saturday’s play, which caused a two-hour delay in the start of play. This action is alleged to amount to a serious breach of the Laws of Cricket and to be contrary to the spirit of the game.

If any of the three plead not guilty, then the ICC, as per Article 5.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, will appoint a Judicial Commissioner from its Code of Conduct Commission to determine the matter. All Level 3 breaches carry an imposition of between four and eight suspension points.

Dinesh Chandimal faces one Test ban

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been suspended from his side’s third and final Test against the Windies after he was found guilty of changing the condition of the ball during the second day’s play of the second Test, which concluded at Gros Islet on Monday. During a hearing held at the end of the St Lucia Test, in which video evidence was used in the presence of the Sri Lanka team management as well as the match officials, Chandimal admitted putting something in his mouth but wasn’t able to recall what it was.

Javagal Srinath of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, on Tuesday, after utilising the time available to him under the code to make his decision, handed Chandimal the maximum punishment available under the code, i.e. two suspension points and a fine of 100 per cent of his match fee.

As two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player, Chandimal will now miss the day/night Barbados Test, starting from Saturday, 23 June. Furthermore, and because two suspension points correspond to four demerit points, these have been added to Chandimal’s disciplinary record.

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