Sri Lanka women’s cricketer Anushka Sanjeewani has been fined 15 percent of her match fee (Rs.55,000) for violating the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) players’ code of conduct during her team’s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in South Africa last Sunday.
According to the ICC, Sanjeewani, the wicket keeper of the side during the match, committed the offence in the 10th over of the Bangladesh innings when she “ran aggressively towards the dismissed batter (Sobhana Mostary) with her fists clenched in celebration” which amounts to bad behaviour against the norms of sportsmanship.
She was fined a month after her employer Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) increased the match fees of women’s players from 250 US dollars (Rs. 91,000) to 750 USD (Rs.275,000) for each ODI or T20 match that will be increased to 1000 USD (Rs.365,000) if the match is won.
Sanjeewani accepted committing the offence after the charges were brought against her by the on-field umpires as well as the third and fourth umpires according to the ICC.
She also received a demerit point that if snowballs to four during a two-year period could face a ban.
Two demerit points mean Sanjeewani could be banned for one Test or two ODIs or two T20s whichever comes first.
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the match.