South Africa's batting coach Ashwell Prince and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne were reprimanded and given demerit points following a disagreement with an umpire's decision during the third Test match against Australia in Cape Town.
The pair were found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct's Level 1, specifically Article 2.8 concerning dissent at an umpire's ruling. Both accepted the sanctions, marking their first offense within a 24-month period.
The controversy arose when South Africa's opener, Marques Ackerman, was dismissed and attempted to challenge the verdict. However, the review was deemed invalid as it wasn't requested within the allotted 15 seconds. As Ackerman exited the field, Prince insisted there was still time for the review, and Verreynne urged Ackerman to delay leaving.
Following their admissions, match referee Javagal Srinath imposed the penalties without a formal hearing. The charges stemmed from reports by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, along with the third and fourth umpires.
Breaching Level 1 can lead to a reprimand, fines, and one or two demerit points. Accumulating four demerit points in two years could result in suspension, but points are expunged from records after 24 months.
Despite the incident, South Africa clinched the third Test with a 176-run win, securing a 2-1 series victory over Australia.
