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The Sri Lanka Cricket Board took a stern decision on Wednesday and handed spinner Suraj Randiv, who had denied Virender Sehwag a century with a deliberate no-ball, a one-match ban, also fining him 100 per cent of his match fee.
The ban means Randiv will miss Thursday's match against New Zealand in Dambulla.
Senior Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, who apparently asked the bowler to bowl a no-ball, has also been fined 100 percent of his match fee.
"As such Sri Lanka Cricket has taken a stern decision against Suraj Randiv and TM Dilshan, for their actions during the 3rd ODI of the Micromax Tri-Series held on August 16, 2010, wherein Virender Sehwag was deprived of scoring his century due to the delivery of a no-ball by Suraj Randiv," the press release by the Lankan Board said.
The Board has also advised captain Kumar Sangakkara to ensure that such incidents do not occur again as they bring disrepute to cricket, affecting the spirit of the game.
The decision to take disciplinary action against the players was taken by the six-member committee which met on Wednesday afternoon to take action on the recommendations of team manager who probed the 'no-ball' controversy.
"Sri Lanka Cricket is extremely proud of its team and their achievements over the years. It is of paramount importance to maintain the discipline of the Gentlemen's game, especially with Sri Lanka Cricket being winners of the 'ICC Spirit of the Game' award for two consecutive years," the statement said.
"As such Sri Lanka Cricket has taken a stern decision against Suraj Randiv and TM Dilshan, for their actions during the 3rd ODI of the Micromax Tri-Series held on August 16, 2010, wherein Virender Sehwag was deprived of scoring his century due to the delivery of a no-ball by Suraj Randiv," the press release by the Lankan Board said.
In the ODI on Monday, Sehwag was batting at 99 with India needing just one run for victory in the third ODI of the tri-series against Sri Lanka. He struck Suraj Randiv for a huge six over long-off and raised his bat in celebration, only to realise a moment later that it was a big no-ball from the off-spinner and his runs would not be counted. The no-ball was the winning run.
The Indian team and cricket fans across the world were livid. Former cricketers slammed Randiv and the Sri Lankan team.
The young off-spinner, however, apologised to Sehwag after the match. The Sri Lankan board too offered their apologies, which prompted the Indian team management to declare the episode a "closed chapter" while the BCCI also made it clear that it would not pursue the case any further. (Read: Randiv has apologised to me: Sehwag)
SANGAKKARA TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
Earlier in the day, Lankan skipper Sangakkara also said that his team took full responsibility of the incident. He added that it was the duty of all teams to keep the spirit of the game alive. (Watch: Sangakkara takes the blame)
"That (playing in the spirit of the game) is a grey area and it is not in black and white. It is for all the teams in the world. All the teams have experienced something or the other. Presenting yourself well on and off the field and making efforts to play fair are, I think, part of our job," he said.
Sangakkara, who is the representative of current players in the ICC Cricket Committee, also said, "It's not just Sri Lanka, it's the responsibility of all cricketers of the world. This incident was unfortunate, it's not Sri Lanka Cricket that has to take the sole proprietorship of whole unsavoury incident. All sides have gone through such incidents including India," he said.
Sangakkara was also not happy with Sehwag speaking in two voices on the controversy and "sensationalising" the issue. (Read: Fear of defeat led to no-ball: Sehwag)
"We can't expect just one side to keep making advances and holding out the hand while it has been sensationalised by other players. I think everyone has got the responsibility to move on from this incident," he said when asked if the Sri Lankan team has anything to say to Sehwag.
"He said one thing at match presentation and there was a marked contrast in the press conference with regard to that no-ball. I have spoken to Mahi (M S Dhoni) and Gary Kirsten. Sehwag has tweeted that there have been other approaches made to him. I think if you all talk of the spirit of the game, once you set right things in motion, it's the responsibility of all players to be within that spirit," he added.
There was much speculation yesterday on whether Sangakkara himself had a role to play in the no-ball being bowled and the captain emphatically said he at first thought Sehwag would get the runs after the Randiv no-ball was hit for a six only to realise later that it was not so under MCC Laws of Cricket.
"We were under the impression that in normal situations of the game even in a no ball, you get the runs. I was under the impression that Sehwag was on 105. There was no instance we thought he was denied a 100. Tony Greig asked me at the post-match presentation, Sehwag was denied a hundred. That was a surprise to me, I don't think anyone understood intricacies of the law in first place," he said.
"We had no inclination to deny Sehwag a hundred. If you need three runs to win and four runs to get a hundred, if you score a boundary, you do get a hundred. I would have thought that if he was stumped off a wide, we would have denied him. Maybe it's something to remember that if someone bowls a wide with one run to win you can charge down the wicket and miss it if it is wide," said Sangakkara.
The hosts play New Zealand on Thursday, while India's next game is on Sunday, again against Sri Lanka.
The ban means Randiv will miss Thursday's match against New Zealand in Dambulla.
Senior Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, who apparently asked the bowler to bowl a no-ball, has also been fined 100 percent of his match fee.
"As such Sri Lanka Cricket has taken a stern decision against Suraj Randiv and TM Dilshan, for their actions during the 3rd ODI of the Micromax Tri-Series held on August 16, 2010, wherein Virender Sehwag was deprived of scoring his century due to the delivery of a no-ball by Suraj Randiv," the press release by the Lankan Board said.
The Board has also advised captain Kumar Sangakkara to ensure that such incidents do not occur again as they bring disrepute to cricket, affecting the spirit of the game.
The decision to take disciplinary action against the players was taken by the six-member committee which met on Wednesday afternoon to take action on the recommendations of team manager who probed the 'no-ball' controversy.
"Sri Lanka Cricket is extremely proud of its team and their achievements over the years. It is of paramount importance to maintain the discipline of the Gentlemen's game, especially with Sri Lanka Cricket being winners of the 'ICC Spirit of the Game' award for two consecutive years," the statement said.
"As such Sri Lanka Cricket has taken a stern decision against Suraj Randiv and TM Dilshan, for their actions during the 3rd ODI of the Micromax Tri-Series held on August 16, 2010, wherein Virender Sehwag was deprived of scoring his century due to the delivery of a no-ball by Suraj Randiv," the press release by the Lankan Board said.
In the ODI on Monday, Sehwag was batting at 99 with India needing just one run for victory in the third ODI of the tri-series against Sri Lanka. He struck Suraj Randiv for a huge six over long-off and raised his bat in celebration, only to realise a moment later that it was a big no-ball from the off-spinner and his runs would not be counted. The no-ball was the winning run.
The Indian team and cricket fans across the world were livid. Former cricketers slammed Randiv and the Sri Lankan team.
The young off-spinner, however, apologised to Sehwag after the match. The Sri Lankan board too offered their apologies, which prompted the Indian team management to declare the episode a "closed chapter" while the BCCI also made it clear that it would not pursue the case any further. (Read: Randiv has apologised to me: Sehwag)
SANGAKKARA TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
Earlier in the day, Lankan skipper Sangakkara also said that his team took full responsibility of the incident. He added that it was the duty of all teams to keep the spirit of the game alive. (Watch: Sangakkara takes the blame)
"That (playing in the spirit of the game) is a grey area and it is not in black and white. It is for all the teams in the world. All the teams have experienced something or the other. Presenting yourself well on and off the field and making efforts to play fair are, I think, part of our job," he said.
Sangakkara, who is the representative of current players in the ICC Cricket Committee, also said, "It's not just Sri Lanka, it's the responsibility of all cricketers of the world. This incident was unfortunate, it's not Sri Lanka Cricket that has to take the sole proprietorship of whole unsavoury incident. All sides have gone through such incidents including India," he said.
Sangakkara was also not happy with Sehwag speaking in two voices on the controversy and "sensationalising" the issue. (Read: Fear of defeat led to no-ball: Sehwag)
"We can't expect just one side to keep making advances and holding out the hand while it has been sensationalised by other players. I think everyone has got the responsibility to move on from this incident," he said when asked if the Sri Lankan team has anything to say to Sehwag.
"He said one thing at match presentation and there was a marked contrast in the press conference with regard to that no-ball. I have spoken to Mahi (M S Dhoni) and Gary Kirsten. Sehwag has tweeted that there have been other approaches made to him. I think if you all talk of the spirit of the game, once you set right things in motion, it's the responsibility of all players to be within that spirit," he added.
There was much speculation yesterday on whether Sangakkara himself had a role to play in the no-ball being bowled and the captain emphatically said he at first thought Sehwag would get the runs after the Randiv no-ball was hit for a six only to realise later that it was not so under MCC Laws of Cricket.
"We were under the impression that in normal situations of the game even in a no ball, you get the runs. I was under the impression that Sehwag was on 105. There was no instance we thought he was denied a 100. Tony Greig asked me at the post-match presentation, Sehwag was denied a hundred. That was a surprise to me, I don't think anyone understood intricacies of the law in first place," he said.
"We had no inclination to deny Sehwag a hundred. If you need three runs to win and four runs to get a hundred, if you score a boundary, you do get a hundred. I would have thought that if he was stumped off a wide, we would have denied him. Maybe it's something to remember that if someone bowls a wide with one run to win you can charge down the wicket and miss it if it is wide," said Sangakkara.
The hosts play New Zealand on Thursday, while India's next game is on Sunday, again against Sri Lanka.
