West Indies pacer Jayden Seales has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his conduct following the dismissal of Australian captain Pat Cummins during the first Test match in Barbados. The incident occurred on the opening day of the match at Kensington Oval, where Seales, after taking Cummins' wicket, gestured towards the pavilion, signaling the Australian captain's exit.
Cummins, who had been batting aggressively, scoring 28 runs off just 18 balls, had given Seales some trouble before the bowler eventually got the better of him. Seales clean bowled Cummins, who flicked the ball straight to Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-off. The send-off, while perhaps not overtly aggressive, was deemed a breach of the ICC's Code of Conduct.
The ICC's Article 2.5 specifically prohibits "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." Seales was found to have violated this article.
Following the incident, Seales was fined 15 percent of his match fee. In addition to the fine, one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record. This was Seales' second offense within a 24-month period, bringing his total to two demerit points. Accumulating four or more demerit points can lead to suspension from future matches, so Seales will need to be mindful of his on-field behavior moving forward.
Seales acknowledged the gesture, downplaying the incident and stating, "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." However, regardless of Seales' intent, his actions were still in violation of the ICC's code.
Despite the penalty, Seales had a successful outing in the first innings, taking 5 wickets and contributing to Australia being dismissed for 180. Shamar Joseph also contributed with a blistering spell that dismantled the top order.
The first Test between the West Indies and Australia has been marred by several controversial decisions, including umpiring decisions.
