West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The incident took place on the opening day of the match when Seales gestured towards the dressing room after dismissing Australian captain Pat Cummins.
The ICC confirmed the sanction, stating that Seales had violated Article 2.5 of the Code, which pertains to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
Seales, when questioned about the incident after play on day one, played down its seriousness. “It did not really mean anything and it was more a bit of frustration,” he said. “Pat hit a couple of good shots off me and I just showed him where the dressing room was—there wasn’t really anything in it.”
In addition to the fine, Seales was handed one demerit point, bringing his total to two within a 24-month period. This marks his second offense during that timeframe.
Despite the controversy, Seales continued to make headlines with his performance on the field. He claimed six wickets in the match, including the dismissal of Josh Inglis late on Day 2. With Travis Head and Beau Webster set to resume on Day 3, the Test remains finely balanced.
The West Indies, showing resilience against the ICC World Test Championship runners-up, had earlier edged ahead by 10 runs in the first innings thanks to a crucial 67-run stand between Shai Hope (48) and captain Roston Chase (44). Australia closed Day 2 on 92/4, leading by 82 runs with six wickets in hand.