South Africa vs England: Vernon Philander fined 15 percent match fee for giving abusive send-off to Jos Buttler in farewell match

Johannesburg: South African paceman Vernon Philander became the fourth cricketer to be fined and given a demerit point in the series against England when the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a sanction for swearing on Sunday.

Philander, playing in his final Test before joining Somerset in the County Championship, was sanctioned for the abusive send-off he gave Jos Buttler after he dismissed the England wicketkeeper on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Wanderers on Saturday.

File image of Vernon Philander. Reuters

The ICC said he had breached their code of conduct, relating 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”.

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Philander, 34, admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft. He was fined 15% of his match fee.

Buttler received the same sanction for a similar offence in the second Test against South Africa, when he was caught on the television stump microphones swearing repeatedly at Philander late on the final day of England’s 189-run win.

On Saturday, the ICC sanctioned England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a foul-mouthed row with a spectator after his dismissal on the opening day on Friday.

South Africa’s top paceman Kagiso Rabada was also fined 15% of his match and given a demerit point for his over-the-top celebration when he dismissed England captain Joe Root in the third Test at Port Elizabeth.

The other players did not have previous demerit points but Rabada’s was his fourth in a 24-month spell, triggering a one-match suspension.

He is banned from the fourth Test in Johannesburg where his absence has been marked as South Africa struggle.