Sri Lanka's T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has been suspended for two matches by the ICC following his run-in with umpire Lyndon Hannibal in the third T20I against Afghanistan on February 21. Hasaranga was also fined 50% of his match fees and will miss Sri Lanka's first two T20Is against Bangladesh next month.
The incident had occurred after umpire Hannibal did not rule a high full-toss from Wafadar Momand to Kamindu Mendis as a no-ball. Kamindu had shuffled down the pitch, but the delivery would have likely arrived higher than his waist had he been standing upright at the popping crease. This would constitute a no-ball as per the ICC's playing conditions.
"That kind of thing shouldn't happen in an international match," Hasaranga had said. "If it had been close [to waist height], that's not a problem. But a ball that's going so high… it would have hit the batsman's head if it had gone a little higher. If you can't see that, that umpire isn't suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job."
Sri Lanka needed 11 runs off the last three balls when this occurred and eventually lost the match by three runs to finish the series 2-1.
"Hasaranga was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to 'Personal abuse of a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match'," the ICC said in a statement. "Hasaranga's accumulation of five demerit points (he got three for this infraction) results in a conversion to two suspension points. This means he will either get a ban for one Test match or two ODIs or T20Is, whichever comes first, for the player or player support personnel."
Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was also fined 15% of his match fee and given one demerit point for "disobeying an umpire's instruction during an international match." Gurbaz's offence was "altering the grip of his bat on the field despite repeated warnings against doing so," the ICC said. Gurbaz's demerit-points tally now stands at two.