New Delhi: Wanindu Hasaranga has been handed a two-match ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the Sri Lankan captain was caught abusing the on-field umpire during their T20I series-ending defeat against Afghanistan.
The incident took place in the third T20I in Dambulla when Hasaranga launched a scathing attack on the on-field umpire Lyndon Hannibal. With Sri Lanka needing 11 off the final three balls, Afghanistan’s Wafadar Momand bowled an above-waist full toss to Kamindu Mendis.
Hannibal, who was standing at square leg, didn’t call the delivery a no-ball as per the playing rules in cricket, and deemed it legal. Thinking it would be called as a legal delivery, Mendis didn’t make contact with the ball as the equation came down to 11 needed from two balls. This irked Hasaranga who later attacked Hannibal by stating that the latter isn’t suited for international cricket.
“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in an international match,” Hasaranga had said after the game. “If it had been close [to waist height], that’s not a problem.
“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in an international match,” Hasaranga had said after the game. “If it had been close [to waist height], that’s not a problem. But a ball that’s going so high… it would have hit the batsman’s head if it had gone a little higher. If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job.”
Hasaranga was thus found guilty of breaching the article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The article relates to “personal abuse of a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match”.