Australia’s off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been penalized for Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. In the first Test between South Africa and Australia, Lyon dropped the ball on AB de Villiers after running him out in the second innings on the fourth day.
The incident happened in the 12th over of the South African innings while the hosts were chasing a mammoth total of 417. Aiden Markram and AB de Villiers were at the crease and the former flicked a delivery from Nathan Lyon towards David Warner at backward square leg inside the circle.
De Villiers took off for a single immediately but Markram didn’t respond and the former had to turn back towards the non-striker’s end. Warner was quick as ever and fired an accurate throw into the hands of the bowler who took off the bails in a flash while de Villiers was found a couple of yards short of the crease.
After the dismissal, while going towards his teammates to celebrate, Lyon dropped the ball on AB who was still lying down on the pitch in disappointment. It was an act that did not go down well with the Match Officials who fined the spinner 15 percent of his match fee and added one demerit point to his name. Nathan Lyon, however, accepted the charges and even apologized to AB de Villiers.
Warner-de Kock altercation
Australia went on to win the match by 118 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the 4-Test series. But another controversy emerged from the game when a footage was revealed in which David Warner can be seen involved in an altercation with Quinton de Kock while both the teams were making their way to the dressing room.
Warner was pouring a mouthful on the South African wicketkeeper as his teammates made several attempts to drag him away. It still remains to be seen whether there will be an investigation into this matter.
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