Matt Prior was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for breaching the governing body's code of conduct during the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's. The England wicketkeeper had smashed a window after being run out on the final day of the Lord's Test due to which a female spectator suffered a minor cut to her ankle after the shattered glass fell into the seating area below England's dressing room.
Prior was found to have breached clause 2.1.2 of the code which relates to "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match", the ICC said in a statement. Prior accepted the Level 1 charge and the proposed sanction from match referee Javagal Srinath.
"Matt knows that his action was in breach of the code and he should be more careful in future. That said, it was clear that the damage he caused was purely accidental and without malice. It's also noted that he apologised to the ground authority for the incident," said Srinath.
Since Prior accepted the offence and the proposed sanction, there was no need to convene a formal hearing. Level 1 offences carry penalties ranging from an official reprimand to 50 per cent of a player's match fee. Prior accompanied by captain Andrew Strauss had earlier apologised for the incident after the match.
"It was a genuine accident. I was out on the balcony, but a lot of the guys in there saw it, and he wasn't meaning to throw anything at the window," Strauss had stated after the match.
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