Dubai, May 4 (IANS) Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty has been handed an official reprimand for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third women’s T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Saturday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) stated that the Bangladesh skipper was found to have breached Article 2.2, which relates to the “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”.

The incident took place during the Bangladesh innings when Nigar, visibly frustrated after being dismissed, threw her bat onto the ground before leaving the field. In addition to the formal reprimand, one demerit point has been added to Nigar’s disciplinary record.

This marks her first offence within a 24-month period. “Nigar admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Supriya Rani Das of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing,” said the ICC in its statement on Monday.

The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Eloise Sheridan and Shathira Jakir Jesy, along with third umpire Rokeya Sultana and fourth umpire Champa Chakma. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.

Under ICC regulations, demerit points remain on a player’s disciplinary record for 24 months from the date of imposition. If a player reaches four or more demerit points within that period, they are converted into suspension points, leading to a ban. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test, two ODIs, or two T20Is, depending on the player’s schedule.

Coming to the match, Sri Lanka completed a clinical 3-0 series sweep of Bangladesh after clinching a rain-shortened third T20I by three runs. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu spearheaded the victory with a stellar all-round performance – top-scoring with 41 runs before returning to claim 2-15.

–IANS

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