Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian batsman currently captaining Sussex in Division II of the County Championship, will be sidelined for one match. Additionally, Sussex’s team has incurred a 12-point deduction due to the club accumulating its fourth fixed penalty of the season.
Last week, in their latest County Championship match against Leicestershire at Hove, the team found themselves facing their third and fourth penalties of the season. In accordance with the County Championships rules, incurring four fines in a season automatically causes a 12-point deduction, as stipulated in Rule 4.29 of the Professional Conduct Regulations.
According to sources in the English media, regulation 3.0 says that when the team’s captain has led the side in all the matches where these penalties were incurred, they shall risk a one-match suspension once the four-penalty threshold is breached.
Sussex entered the game against Leicestershire with two fixed penalties already against them. The first punishment was imposed to Cheteshwar Pujara, who was admonished for “willful mistreatment of any part of the cricket ground, equipment, or implements used in the match” during Sussex’s season opener against Durham. Tom Haines also faced a reprimand during a fixture against Yorkshire in April.
In the latest encounter against Leicestershire, Tom Haines once again found himself in hot water as he was reported by the umpires for a Level One infraction. Furthermore, Jack Carson received an individual fixed penalty for Level Two misconduct, comprising inappropriate and purposeful physical contact with another player. As a consequence, both Haines and Carson have been withdrawn from Sussex’s team for their upcoming match against Derbyshire, and an investigation is underway into Ari Karvelas.
Despite these problems, it’s worth mentioning that Cheteshwar Pujara has been a star player for Sussex this season, scoring three centuries and maintaining a remarkable average of 54.08. In the encounter against Derbyshire, Tom Alsop will resume the captaincy duties as Sussex aims to negotiate this period of suspension before Pujara becomes eligible for selection once more in the final round of fixtures.
“It is a great shame that these incidents have tarnished what was a fantastic game against Leicestershire, and all the hard work that has gone into the season. I am disappointed for our fantastic members and supporters and can assure them we will be working hard to make sure we are not in this position again,” Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace was quoted as saying by the media.
