The Sussex cricket team's season has taken a significant downturn due to a recent turn of events, with a 12-point penalty now hanging over their heads following a contentious victory over Leicestershire. This incident, initially seen as one of the season's highlights, has now cast a dark shadow over the team's overall performance.
The penalty was triggered by disciplinary breaches involving two key players, Tom Haines and Jack Carson, ultimately pushing Sussex past the threshold for a points deduction. Consequently, Sussex's head coach, Paul Farbrace, has made the decision to exclude both players from the upcoming match against Derbyshire.
Adding to the team's challenges, their captain, Cheteshwar Pujara, has received a ban for the same game, effectively bringing his season with the county to an abrupt end. Pujara was already slated to miss the final match against Gloucestershire due to prior commitments in India.
In addition to these setbacks, Ari Karvelas finds himself temporarily sidelined, pending an investigation into an undisclosed incident. It has come to light that Haines had previously received a warning for giving an opposing batsman a provocative 'send-off' after dismissal, a behaviour that he, unfortunately, repeated during the Leicestershire game. While Pujara himself did not commit any offence, his role as the team's captain during these incidents contributed to his suspension.
As for Carson, he was found to have obstructed an opposing batsman during the Leicestershire game. The umpires expressed their evident displeasure with Sussex's overall conduct throughout the match, including their appeals and instances of dissent. This dissatisfaction led to a heated discussion between the umpires and Farbrace shortly after Sussex secured their victory.
It is worth noting that Sussex's previous breaches of conduct also occurred during their only other victory this season, which took place during a home game against Durham.
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