2nd Test: Seales fined 25 pc match fee, handed demerit point for throwing ball at Jaiswal

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during day one of the ongoing second Test against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The incident occurred in the 29th over of India’s first innings, where they declared at 518/5, when Seales fielded the ball on his follow-through and threw it at left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, thus hitting him on the pads and also immediately apologised for this.

“Seales was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.”

“In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Seales’ disciplinary record, taking his total demerit points to two in a 24-month period. The previous demerit point for Seales was in a Test match against Bangladesh in December 2024,” said the ICC in a statement on Sunday.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. ICC further said Seales, who had figures of 0-88 in 22 overs, expressed reservations about the ruling, and didn’t fully agree with the interpretation of his actions by the match officials, though he accepted the sanction without contest.

“On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Alex Wharf and fourth umpire K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge. Seales contested the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so a formal hearing was required.”

“Seales contested that he was attempting a run out. But the Match Referee, who referred to replay clips showing the incident from different angles, concluded that the throw was unnecessary and inappropriate, hitting the batter on the pads when he was within the crease,” added the ICC.

--IANS

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