Stump mics find Jos Buttler to be guilty of Vernon Philander slander

Jos Buttler has been disciplined by the International Cricket Council for his outburst at Vernon Philander during the second Test against South Africa.
There was a verbal exchange between England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and South Africa batsman Vernon Philander (PIcture: AP)There was a verbal exchange between England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and South Africa batsman Vernon Philander (PIcture: AP)
There was a verbal exchange between England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and South Africa batsman Vernon Philander (PIcture: AP)

Buttler was keeping wicket during a tense final day in Cape Town when he launched a series of expletives at Philander, seemingly angered by the batsman’s decision not to move out of the way of a throw.

The exchange was picked up by the stump microphones and shared widely on social media, leaving Buttler with little option but to accept the match referee’s charge.

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He will lose 15 per cent of his match fee and pick up one demerit point having breached the ICC’s disciplinary code. Suspensions kick in only after players have accumulated four demerit points in a two-year period and, as this is Buttler’s first such offence, he is in no imminent danger of missing any cricket.

An ICC statement read: “Buttler was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘use of an audible obscenity’ following an incident with Vernon Philander.Buttler admitted the offence and accepted the sanction and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.”

Speaking after England’s series-levelling victory at Newlands, captain Joe Root gave the incident short shrift.

“I don’t think anyone overstepped the mark and you want a bit of something to talk about, a bit of spice on the TV don’t you?” he said. “I don’t think it will linger throughout the series – it’s just two guys playing hard Test cricket.”

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