India vs West Indies: ICC reprimands Jayden Seales for his action against Yashasvi Jaiswal
The India vs West Indies series is proving tough in more than one way for the visitors. West Indies, led by Roston Chase, have been under heavy scrutiny for their lack of fight in the two-match series. Meanwhile, further trouble has mounted for Jayden Seales following his shenanigans on Day 1 of the second and final Test in Delhi. The West Indies fast bowler has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council, with 25 per cent of his match fees deducted after being found in breach of the Code of Conduct.
ICC punishes Jayden Seales for his throw at Yashasvi Jaiswal on Day 1 of the final India vs West Indies Test
The incident occurred on Day 1 of the second India vs West Indies Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The 24-year-old pacer was found guilty of violating Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an international match.”
In addition to the deduction in match fees, Seales also received one demerit point, taking his total to two demerit points within a two-year period. He had previously been penalized with a demerit point during a Test match against Bangladesh in December 2024. The controversial moment occurred on the first day of the second Test when Jayden Seales, following through on his delivery in the 29th over, hurled the ball towards India’s opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, striking him on the pads.
Seales did not accept the sanction without contesting it. He challenged the decision with match referee Andy Pycroft, necessitating a formal hearing. During his defence, Seales claimed that he was attempting a run-out. However, after reviewing replays from multiple angles, Pycroft concluded that the throw was unnecessary. The match referee also noted that the delivery was inappropriate because Jaiswal was safely within his crease when struck on the pads.
“On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Alex Wharf and fourth umpire K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge,” the ICC stated in an official release.
For the unversed, Level 1 breach carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, while the maximum sanction can include 50 per cent of a player’s match fee and one or two demerit points. On the field, after being dismissed for 248 in their first innings of the final India vs West Indies Test, the visitors showed resilience following India’s decision to enforce the follow-on.
John Campbell and Shai Hope spearheaded the fightback for the visitors, holding their ground on Day 3 of the second Test in Delhi. Earlier in the match, Kuldeep Yadav claimed a five-wicket haul as India bundled out the West Indies for 248. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, the hosts posted a commanding 518/5 in their opening innings, thanks to centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill.
