COLOMBO – The independent Judicial Commissioner today handed Sri Lankacaptain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager AsankaGurusinha eight suspension points, which means the trio have also beensuspended for the first four ODIs along with both the Tests against SouthAfrica.
The three were charged by the ICC Chief Executive David Richardson on 19June and had pleaded guilty to breaching Level 3, Article 2.3.1, whichrelates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”, duringlast month’s St Lucia Test against the West Indies.
The Chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission , The Hon Michael BeloffQC,had held a hearing over video conference on Wednesday, 11 July, todetermine the sanction, and, after more than six hours of hearing, whichwas attended by legal counsels of both the sides, had reserved his decision.
During the hearing, however, it was mutually agreed that, since the minimumsanction for a Level 3 offence was suspension from two Tests, the threewill not participate in the Galle Test (played from 12-14 July) and ColomboTest (to be played from 20-24 July), and these will be credited against thesanction imposed by the Judicial Commissioner.
As eight suspension points equate to a ban from two Tests and fourODIs/T20Is or eight ODIs/T20Is, whatever comes first for the player orplayer support personnel, the Judicial Commissioner’s ruling means thethree will also remain suspended for the Dambulla ODIs (29 July and 1August) as well as the Kandy ODIs (5 and 8 August).
Furthermore, six demerit points each have been added to the disciplinaryrecords of Chandimal, Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha.
Dinesh Chandimal now has 10 demerit points against his name DineshChandimal now has 10 demerit points against his name
While these are first offences for Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha, this is thesecond time Chandimal has been sanctioned since the introduction of therevised Code in September 2016. Chandimal received four demerit points forbreaching Article 2.2.9 in the same Test, and, therefore, he now has 10demerit points against his name.
All Level 3 breaches carry an imposition of between four and eightsuspension points.