Skipper Pujara suspended for one game after Sussex docked 12 points for ‘on-field behaviour’

Hove (England), Sep 18 (PTI) India international Cheteshwar Pujara has been suspended from one county game after his team Sussex was docked 12 points in the County Championship due to a code of conduct breach during the match against Leicestershire.

Pujara received an automatic suspension after the club reached the threshold of four fixed penalties in the same season and won’t be available for this week’s game against Derbyshire, according to a report in ESPN Cricinfo.

Sussex have also made the decision to stand down three players – Jack Carson, Tom Haines and Ari Karvelas – for behaviour that in the words of head coach, Paul Farbrace, “tarnished” the dramatic 15-run win over Leicestershire last week, the website reported.

“We have made Jack and Tom unavailable for selection for this game at Derbyshire,” Farbrace said. “Following the umpires and match referee’s decision to charge both players with on-field level one and level two offences, we needed to take a stance, and show them we will not condone such behaviours.

“Ultimately it has cost us the availability of Cheteshwar and we have been deducted 12 points.”

It must be mentioned that Sussex had previously been sanctioned twice by the umpires in the early part of the season, with Pujara being charged with a Level 1 offence in the opening game against Durham and Haines reprimanded similarly after the visit of Yorkshire to Hove.