ICC fines Lahiru Kumara for breaching the Code of Conduct

Lahiru Kumara has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee and has also received one demerit point after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the third day’s play in the first Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Monday.

The Sri Lanka bowler was found to have violated Article 2.3 of the code, which relates to “use of an audible obscenity during an international match”. Kumara used an audible obscenity after an outside edge off Tom Latham’s bat in the 96th over went for a boundary. These comments were heard by the on-field umpires and also picked by the stump mic.

After the day’s play, Kumara admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Michael Gough, third umpire Richard Illingworth, all from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, as well as fourth umpire Tim Brown.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Kumara picked four wickets

Lahiru Kumara was the best bowler for Sri Lanka in the first innings even as Tom Latham slammed 264 runs to carry his bat. The fast bowler picked four wickets while sending down more than 30 overs and was also expensive among the lot. He scalped the wickets of Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling and Trent Boult and looks a good prospect for Sri Lanka in the near future. His extreme pace makes Kumara look menacing and the team management will have to manage him properly going forward.

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