Ishant Sharma fined for send-offs

India fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been fined 65% of his match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.

Ishant had given send-offs to Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal in the Colombo Test, which is against Article 2.1.7 relating to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match."

The on-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker brought the charges to match referee Andy Pycroft, who ruled that Ishant would lose 15% of his match fees for the Thirimanne send-off and a further 50% for the Chandimal one.

An ICC press release explained that Pycroft chose a more severe punishment for the second send-off because "circumstances surrounding the second incident, including the more aggressive nature of the conduct, warranted a higher sanction than the first of the two offences"

If Ishant commits a similar breach a third time in the next 12 months, he will face will face a sanction of between two and eight suspension points.