The infractions were reported by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, alongside the third and fourth umpires.
Dubai:South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne have been handed official reprimands for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third day of the decisive third Test against Australia in Cape Town.
The disciplinary action stemmed from a shared incident following the second-innings dismissal of Proteas opener Marques Ackerman.
After Ackerman attempted to challenge a caught-behind decision, the on-field umpires rejected the request, ruling that his appeal fell outside the mandatory 15-second DRS countdown window.
As the dismissed batter made his way towards the dugout, Prince repeatedly shouted at the match officials from the pavilion, insisting that time remained on the timer. Simultaneously, Verreynne—who was not named in the playing XI for the match—instructed Ackerman to remain inside the boundary ropes, causing a temporary halt to the proceedings.
“Prince and Verreynne were found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match,” ICC said in a statement.
It added, “One demerit point has been added to each of their disciplinary records, as these were their first offenses in a 24-month period.”
Both Prince and Verreynne pleaded guilty to the charges and accepted the sanctions issued by ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Javagal Srinath, eliminating the requirement for a formal hearing.
The infractions were reported by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, alongside third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth umpire Lubabalo Gcuma.
Under ICC regulations, Level 1 violations carry an official reprimand as the minimum penalty, up to a maximum fine of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.
Despite the off-field drama, South Africa mounted a heroic fourth-day fightback before their bowlers produced a fiery display on the final day in Cape Town, securing a historic 2-1 series triumph over Australia.
The victory propelled South Africa past Australia to claim the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings, while simultaneously demoting the Australians to third in the ICC World Test Championship standings. (IANS)