Sri Lankan skipper Upul Tharanga suspended for two ODIs

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Upul Tharanga has been suspended from the next two ICC Champions Trophy 2017 matches after his side was found guilty of a serious over-rate offence in its Group B fixture against South Africa at The Oval on Saturday. David Boon of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the suspension after the Sri Lanka side was ruled to be four overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

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 additional overs 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 (at The Oval, 8 June) and Pakistan (at the Cardiff Wales Stadium, 12 June), while each of his players have received a fine of 60 per cent.

Tharanga pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. The charge was laid by on-field umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar, third umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth official Bruce Oxenford, all from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.

Clinical South Africa take 2 points

The Proteas posted a really competitive total of 300 runs on the board though a score higher than that was chased by England the other day but it was Sri Lanka they were to restrict. The Lankans had a good start with the openers giving them a brilliant start but they couldn’t capitalise it as the middle order and thereafter absolutely crumbled to end the game 97 runs short of the target.