Captain Alastair Cook has been suspended for one ODI and fined 20 per cent of his match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during England's five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the third ODI in Hambantota on Wednesday.
Match referee David Boon imposed the suspension on Cook after England was ruled to be one over short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration. England players have also been fined 10 per cent of their match fees.
As Cook had previously been found guilty of a minor over-rate offence in ODIs within the last 12 months and this offence constituted his second minor offence for the purposes of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Cook pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
In accordance with Article 2.5.1 and Appendix 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with minor over-rate offences, in the case of a second minor over-rate offence in the same format of the game within 12 months, the captain receives one suspension point and is fined 20 per cent of his match fee.
The players are also fined 10 per cent of their match fees for each over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
As such, Cook has been suspended for the next ODI to be played in Colombo on Sunday.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Simon Fry and Ruchira Palliyaguruge, third umpire Steve Davis and fourth official Raveendra Wimalasiri.
