Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim have been fined for breaching codes of conduct during the second test loss to Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday. Ashraful was docked 15 per cent of his match fee for excessive appealing while Rahim lost 50 per cent of his for "charging or advancing towards the umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing."
The penalties were handed down by match referee Jeff Crowe following hearings held in Chittagong on Tuesday after the conclusion of the Test which Sri Lanka won by 465 runs to sweep the series 2-0. Both breaches occurred after the first ball of the 78th over of Sri Lanka's second innings when Rahim's appeal for a caught behind against Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan off the bowling of Mehrab Hossain Jnr was turned down.
Ashraful was reprimanded after match referee Crowe had spoken to him following similar actions in the first test. "Mohammad Ashraful is the captain of the team and needs to lead with responsibility and patience when an umpire is making a decision," an ICC media release quoted Crowe as saying. "Having spoken to him earlier in the series about a similar reaction, he was fully aware of what was acceptable and therefore, pleaded guilty to the charge."