SL vs PAK: Asitha Fernando reprimanded by ICC for ‘inappropriate celebration’ after Saud Shakeel’s wicket

Pakistan put themselves in a comfortable position to win the second Test match against Sri Lanka with a 397-run lead at the end of Day 3’s play on Wednesday, July 26. Abdullah Shafique stole the show with a maiden double hundred in Tests and then Saud Shakeel became the first-ever cricketer to score fifty in seven consecutive Test matches.

Rain dominated Day 2 with only 10 overs of play possible but Pakistan managed to keep their dominance in this series with an impressive performance at Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday. For Sri Lanka, spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took two wickets and pacer Asitha Fernando picked one on Day 3.

Asitha bagged two wickets on Day 1 and then helped his team with a breakthrough wicket of Shakeel’s. Shafique and Shakeel added 109 runs for the fourth wicket, leaving Sri Lankan bowlers frustrated for the wickets.

Shakeel was given out on lbw, which triggered Asitha to celebrate wildly. Sri Lankan pacer approached Shakeel and displayed his celebration in an ‘inappropriate manner’. ICC officials took note of that event and then slapped the player for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. 

This was the very first Level 1 breach by the pacer in the last two years so he received only one demerit point to his disciplinary record. There was no need for any formal hearing as Asitha accepted the sanctions proposed by David Boon of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees after Day 3’s play.

For Pakistan, all-rounder Agha Salman smashed 128* off 132 and Mohammad Rizwan, who replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed as a concussion substitute, scored 37* off 61 to help Pakistan score a total of 563/5. With a 397-run lead, Babar Azam-led side are expected to declare their first innings in the first session of Day 4 and then target a huge win to clean sweep the red-ball series.

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