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Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take a stronger stance on on-field conduct after India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was sanctioned for his altercation with Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando during the ongoing second Test in Colombo.
Manjrekar took to social media platform X to express his concern and drew a comparison with the recent incident involving teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during India A's tour of Sri Lanka. "Dear @icc & @bcci...Vaibhav for Ind A recently & now Jaiswal... if you keep letting them get away with such behaviour, you train them to repeat such behaviour. It's not good for the sport & crucially their own future too," wrote Manjrekar on X. Jaiswal and Fernando were both sanctioned by the ICC after being found guilty of breaching Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to inappropriate physical contact during an international match. Both players were fined 25 per cent of their match fees and received one demerit point. Neither had committed an offence in the previous 24 months. The incident occurred during the 17th over of India's innings on the opening day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Fernando dismissed Jaiswal before the Indian batter approached the Sri Lankan pacer and the two exchanged words. Fernando then moved his head towards Jaiswal, who leaned forward, resulting in head-to-head contact between the two players. Both cricketers admitted to the breaches and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, meaning no formal hearing was required. Manjrekar's comments also referenced an earlier incident involving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during India A's match against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on June 15. The teenage batter was involved in a heated exchange with Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage following a tense Super Over defeat for India A in the one-day tri-series. The match had ended in a tie after 50 overs, with Sri Lanka A eventually winning the Super Over. After the match, tensions escalated between members of the two teams, with visuals showing Sooryavanshi and Halambage exchanging words before the situation became physical. The two players were seen shoving each other before Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella intervened to separate them. The incident occurred as players were leaving the field following the conclusion of the match. Manjrekar's remarks come as Jaiswal and Fernando continue to feature in the second Test, an ongoing ICC World Test Championship fixture. The sanction means both players have been officially reprimanded for their conduct, while the one demerit point adds to their disciplinary records. The former India batter stressed that incidents involving young and emerging players need to be addressed carefully, particularly to ensure that such behaviour does not become a recurring feature of their careers. (ANI)
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