West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been hit with a 15% fine of his match fee and received one demerit point for breaking Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first match of the series against Australia in Bridgetown on Wednesday. According to the ICC, Seales violated Article 2.5 of the Code, which deals with using language or gestures that could upset or provoke a batter after their dismissal. This incident has also added a demerit point to Seales’ record, marking his second offense in the last 24 months.
The issue happened in the 55th over of Australia’s innings when Seales celebrated dismissing captain Pat Cummins with a gesture towards the pavilion. He admitted to the offense and accepted the punishment proposed by ICC match referee Javagal Srinath, so no formal hearing was needed. The on-field umpires, Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon, along with the third and fourth umpires, Adrian Holdstock and Gregory Brathwaite, were the ones who charged him.
Seales had received a previous demerit point during a Test match against Bangladesh in December 2024. For Level 1 offenses, penalties can include an official reprimand, a fine of up to 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. When asked about the incident at the end of the first day, Seales downplayed it. He said it was just a moment of frustration after Cummins had hit a few good shots off him. He noted that he “showed him where the dressing room was,” implying there wasn’t much to it. On the second day, Seales picked up his sixth wicket of the match, getting Josh Inglis out for 12, with Travis Head and Beau Webster set to resume on Friday.