Sharma fined for Malan send-off

BIRMINGHAM: India’s Ishant Sharma has been fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point under the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct for the ‘send-off’ he gave England’s Dawid Malan during the first Test at Edgbaston, the global governing body announced Saturday. Fast bowler Sharma was found to have contravened article 2.1.7 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an international match”. The incident in question took place during the opening session of Friday’s third day when Sharma dismissed Malan for 20 and then celebrated his exit in close proximity to the Middlesex left-hander — an action which in the view of the match officials could have provoked an reaction from the departing batsman.