Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, the talented all-rounder, faced a setback in his return to Test cricket as the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a two-match ban on him. This suspension means that Hasaranga will be absent from the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to kick off on March 22. The ICC found Hasaranga guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, specifically for “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match,” which occurred during the third ODI against Bangladesh.
The incident unfolded during the 37th over of Bangladesh’s innings when Hasaranga displayed dissent by snatching his cap from an umpire and mocking the umpiring decisions made during the match. As a consequence, he received a 50% fine and accumulated three demerit points, bringing his total demerit points to eight within a 24-month period.
Hasaranga had previously garnered five demerit points after an incident in the third T20I against Afghanistan, leading to a suspension for two T20Is against Bangladesh. With the latest demerit points added, he crossed the threshold of eight demerit points, resulting in a ban from two Tests or four ODIs or T20Is, whichever comes first. Consequently, Hasaranga will miss the two ICC World Test Championship Tests against Bangladesh.
Despite his recent ban, Hasaranga had made a surprising return to Test cricket by coming out of retirement and being included in the Sri Lanka squad for the Test series against Bangladesh. This decision marked a significant turnaround from his retirement announcement last year after playing four Tests for Sri Lanka.