Sri Lankan skipper Upal Tharanga has been handed two-match suspension due to ‘serious over rate offence’ after innings against South Africa topped four hours.
The Asian side, who were already affecting from the loss of their inform skipper Angelo Mathews, now in deep trouble ahead of must win games against Pakistan and India in order to qualify for the semis of the ICC Champions trophy.
Former world champions lost Mathews before the toss to a calf injury.
Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, Tharanaga’s charges too more than four hours to bowl their 50 overs against South Africa in their Group B clash at The Oval on Saturday.
BREAKING: Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga has been suspended from the next two #CT17 matches for a slow over rate: https://t.co/APsz4bgpAv pic.twitter.com/6dbt6GUXPm
— ICC (@ICC) June 3, 2017
The Sri Lankas were ruled to be four overs short of their target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
When the three and a half hour timeslot to bowl in expired, Sri Lanka were midway through their 44th over. The Sri Lankans eventually completed their overs 37 minutes late with a Hashim Amla century powering South Africa to 6-299.
Under the governing body’s Code of Conduct for the tournament, the sanctions for a serious breach – which is where a side is deemed more than two overs short of the over rate – are hefty, and costly. Under the Code, Sri Lanka’s players were fined 60 per cent of their match fee for being over time.
ICC sanctions stipulate players lose 10 per cent of their match fee for each of the first two overs, then a further 20 per cent of their match fee for each additional over they are behind time.
For the captain, the penalty is two suspension points, which equates to two ODIs. It rules Tharanga out of Sri Lanka’s matches against India at The Oval next Thursday, and Pakistan on June 12 in Cardiff, but he could return for the semi-finals should the team qualify.
