New Delhi, August 26: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over what he considers insufficient action against young Indian players involved in on-field confrontations.
Manjrekar's comments came after Yashasvi Jaiswal was sanctioned for his confrontation with Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo. The former India cricketer also brought up an earlier incident involving teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during India A's tour of Sri Lanka.
His central concern was not simply the size of the punishment but the message such decisions could send to young players. Manjrekar argued that repeatedly allowing confrontational behaviour to pass with relatively light sanctions could encourage players to repeat it.
Manjrekar sends warning to ICC and BCCI
Manjrekar took to X after the Jaiswal-Fernando incident and directly addressed the ICC and BCCI.
He pointed to the similarity between Jaiswal's case and the earlier Vaibhav episode, arguing that young cricketers need stronger guidance when their behaviour crosses the line.
His concern is that disciplinary action in professional sport is not only intended to punish an individual. It is also meant to establish boundaries for everyone else watching.
For emerging players in particular, the former India batter believes authorities have a responsibility to make clear that competitive intensity cannot become an excuse for physical confrontation.
What happened between Jaiswal and Fernando?
The incident involving Jaiswal occurred on the first day of the second Test in Colombo.
Jaiswal had struck Fernando for three boundaries in an over before the Sri Lankan pacer eventually dismissed him with a delivery that beat the Indian opener's defence.
As Jaiswal began walking back towards the pavilion, he turned around and approached Fernando. The two exchanged words and moved face-to-face before their helmets came into contact. Teammates then intervened to separate the players.
The confrontation quickly attracted attention because it involved physical contact rather than merely verbal exchanges.
The ICC subsequently determined that both players had breached Article 2.12 of its Code of Conduct. The provision covers inappropriate physical contact involving players, support staff, officials and other people during an international match.
Jaiswal and Fernando receive the same punishment
The ICC imposed identical sanctions on Jaiswal and Fernando.
Both players were fined 25% of their match fees and received one demerit point.
According to the ICC, neither player had committed a previous offence during the preceding 24 months. Both admitted the breaches and accepted the proposed sanctions, meaning a formal disciplinary hearing was not required.
From the ICC's perspective, the punishment followed the established disciplinary process.
But Manjrekar believes the outcome should be viewed more broadly, especially because Jaiswal is a prominent young India player with a high-profile international career ahead of him.
Why Manjrekar brought up Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Manjrekar's criticism was not limited to the Test incident.
He also referred to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenage India batter who was involved in a heated exchange during India A's tri-series campaign in Sri Lanka.
The incident took place in Dambulla after India A's match against Sri Lanka A ended in a tie and Sri Lanka A won the subsequent Super Over.
Following the match, tensions rose between members of the two teams. Sooryavanshi was involved in an exchange with Sri Lanka A players, with the situation becoming physical before teammates intervened.
Sooryavanshi was subsequently fined 50% of his match fee for the incident.
The fact that Manjrekar linked that incident with Jaiswal's case shows that his criticism is focused on what he sees as a developing issue around player behaviour rather than one isolated confrontation.
The concern is bigger than the fines
Manjrekar's argument raises an important question for cricket administrators: How should young players be disciplined when competitive aggression crosses into inappropriate conduct?
Cricket has traditionally allowed a certain amount of verbal intensity. Players celebrate wickets, exchange words with opponents and attempt to unsettle batters and bowlers.
However, there is a clear distinction between competitive aggression and physical confrontation.
Once players move beyond verbal exchanges and make physical contact, the incident becomes a disciplinary matter.
For Manjrekar, the concern is that light financial penalties may not always have enough deterrent value, particularly for highly successful young players.
Why young players need stronger guidance
Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi represent different stages of the same broader pathway.
Jaiswal is already an established India international, while Sooryavanshi is one of the country's most closely watched young batting prospects.
Their behaviour is therefore likely to receive considerable attention from younger cricketers.
Manjrekar's argument is that disciplinary decisions can become part of a player's education. If a young player understands that inappropriate behaviour carries meaningful consequences, it may help prevent similar incidents later in a career.
Conversely, repeated incidents followed by relatively modest sanctions could create the perception that such behaviour is acceptable.
That is why Manjrekar described the issue as being bad not only for cricket but potentially for the players' own futures.
ICC's position is based on existing rules
There is also another side to the debate.
The ICC did not ignore the Jaiswal-Fernando incident. It formally found both players guilty under Article 2.12 and imposed financial penalties and demerit points.
The fact that neither player had a disciplinary offence in the previous 24 months was also relevant to the process.
Both players accepted the sanctions, allowing the matter to be resolved without a formal hearing.
From that perspective, the ICC applied its existing Code of Conduct rather than allowing the incident to go completely unpunished.
The debate is therefore about whether the existing punishment is strong enough, rather than whether authorities took any action at all.
BCCI's role is different
Manjrekar's criticism also names the BCCI, although the Jaiswal-Fernando sanctions were imposed under the ICC's international disciplinary framework.
The BCCI's role becomes particularly relevant when Indian players are involved in incidents outside the ICC's direct disciplinary process.
The Sooryavanshi episode, for example, occurred during an India A fixture rather than a senior international match.
This raises questions about how national cricket boards should supplement official sanctions with education, counselling and internal disciplinary measures, particularly when dealing with young players.
A larger issue for modern cricket
The controversy comes at a time when cricket is becoming increasingly intense and commercially visible.
Players are under enormous pressure to perform, matches are closely followed on television and social media, and even relatively minor confrontations can quickly become major talking points.
That makes player behaviour increasingly important.
The sport does not necessarily need to eliminate emotion or competitive aggression. In fact, intensity is part of what makes elite cricket compelling.
But administrators must determine where the line is drawn.
The challenge is to preserve the passion of competition while preventing confrontations from escalating into behaviour that undermines respect between players.
The message to young cricketers
For Jaiswal, the incident is now part of his disciplinary record through the one demerit point.
For Sooryavanshi, the earlier episode provides a similar warning at a much earlier stage of his career.
Neither incident alone defines either player's cricketing future.
But Manjrekar's broader argument is that how authorities respond to such moments can influence what players learn from them.
The former India batter wants the ICC and BCCI to take a more proactive approach so that young cricketers understand the consequences of crossing disciplinary boundaries.
Passion without crossing the line
The Jaiswal-Fernando confrontation may have lasted only moments, but it has opened a wider debate about player conduct.
The ICC has followed its disciplinary procedure, while Manjrekar believes the sanctions do not go far enough to discourage future incidents.
The bigger question is whether cricket can maintain its competitive edge without allowing aggression to spill into physical confrontations.
For India's emerging generation, that lesson could be as important as runs, wickets and victories.
Manjrekar's warning is ultimately about more than one fine or one demerit point: young players need to understand that talent and aggression can take them far, but discipline and respect must remain part of the journey.
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