Sri Lanka captain Tharanga suspended for 2 matches

TIL Desk Sports/ Sri Lankan skipper Upul Tharanga was on Friday banned for two ODIs for slow over rate in the rain-affected second one-dayer against India. Andy Pycroft of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the suspension after the Sri Lanka side was ruled to be three overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration even as the match was reduced to 47 overs for the Indian chase.

India won the match by three wickets with 2.4 overs to spare and took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. In accordance with Article 2.5.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to serious over-rate offences, players were fined 10 per cent of their match fees for the first two overs and 20 per cent of their match fees for the third over their side failed to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain also receiving two suspension points.

As two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player, Tharanga has been suspended from his side’s upcoming matches against India in Pallekele and Colombo on August 27 and 31 respectively, while each of his players have received a fine of 40 per cent.