ICC Slams South Africa's Ashwell Prince and Kyle Verreynne for Dissent
South Africa's Ashwell Prince and Kyle Verreynne face sanctions after showing dissent toward umpires during a Test match against Australia.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially reprimanded South Africa's batting coach Ashwell Prince and player Kyle Verreynne for an ICC Code of Conduct breach during the third Test match against Australia in Cape Town. Both individuals were found guilty of showing dissent toward the match officials, leading to disciplinary action.
The Incident: A Review Denied
The tension erupted on the third day of the match during South Africa’s second innings. The flashpoint occurred following the dismissal of opener Marques Ackerman, who was given out caught. Seeking to overturn the decision, Ackerman attempted to signal for a review.
However, the on-field umpires ruled that the request for a review was made after the allowed 15-second window had expired. Consequently, the appeal was rejected, and Ackerman was forced to leave the field.
Chaos on the Boundary
The situation escalated as the batter began walking toward the boundary line. According to the ICC, batting coach Ashwell Prince repeatedly shouted at the umpires, insisting that the appeal had actually been made within the permitted timeframe.
Simultaneously, Kyle Verreynne—who was not part of the playing eleven for that match—intervened by instructing Ackerman to stay inside the boundary line. This action resulted in a delay in the batter exiting the field of play.
The Verdict and Sanctions
The charges were leveled by a full panel of officials, including on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, third umpire Chris Gaffaney, and fourth umpire Lubabalo Gcuma.
The matter was handled by Javagal Srinath of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. Since both Prince and Verreynne admitted to their offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, formal hearings were deemed unnecessary.
The Penalties Imposed:
- Official Reprimand: Both have received a formal warning for breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
- Demerit Points: One demerit point has been added to each of their disciplinary records, as this was their first offence within a 24-month window.
Under the ICC guidelines, Level 1 breaches can result in penalties ranging from a simple official reprimand to a fine of up to 50 per cent of a player's match fee, along with one or two demerit points.