Dubai, June 27 (IANS) West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee and one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the opening day of the first match of the series against Australia in Bridgetown on Wednesday, ICC said.

“Seales was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match.

“In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Seales, for whom it was the second offence in a 24-month period, taking his tally of demerit points in a 24-month period to two,” ICC said in a statement.

The incident occurred in the 55th over of Australia’s innings, when Seales, after dismissing captain Pat Cummins, gestured in the direction of the pavilion.

ICC said that Seales admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Javagal Srinath of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon, third umpire Adrian Holdstock and fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite levelled the charge.

Seales received his earlier demerit point during a Test match against Bangladesh in Kingston, Jamaica, on 3 December 2024.

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.

Seales played down the incident when asked for more information at stumps on the first day. “It did not really mean anything and it was more a bit of frustration. Pat hit a couple of good shots off me and I just showed him where the dressing room was and there wasn’t really anything in it,” he said.

Seales was among the wicket takers late on the second day as he bowled Josh Inglis for 12 for his sixth scalp of the match, with Travis Head (13) and Beau Webster (19) to resume on Friday.

–IANS

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