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India batsman Rohit Sharma has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee for dissent during his side's washed out tri-series cricket match against Sri Lanka in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Sharma was charged after initially standing his ground when he was given out by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, caught behind for a duck off Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
Television replays indicated Sharma had not hit the ball and should not have been given out but match referee Jeff Crowe said the batsman was still obliged to abide by the umpire's decision.
"In the pre-series briefing, it was made very clear to the three team managements what was expected of them and their players in the one-day series," Crowe said in a statement.
"There was a lengthy delay after Rohit Sharma finally departed the crease when he was given out. When the umpire's finger goes up, the batsman must go without delay regardless what he thinks of the decision."
Sharma is the third Indian player to face charges of breaching the sport's code of conduct during their troubled tour of Australia.
Yuvraj Singh was also charged with dissent during the first test in Melbourne in December but escaped a penalty after the match referee accepted his explanation that he was "in shock".
The ICC later criticised the ruling and warned all players to leave the ground immediately upon being given out.
Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was initially given a three-match ban for abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second test.
The penalty was later changed to a fine after the charges were downgraded to a lesser offence on appeal although the presiding judge said Harbhajan was lucky to escape a ban because the International Cricket Council had failed to inform him about all his previous offences.
- REUTERS
