Australian pacer James Pattinson is all set to miss his side's opening Test of the two-match series against Pakistan after being found to have violated Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct relating to 'personal abuse of a player'.
The 29-year-old was found guilty of a Level 2 breach of the code, which can result in two suspension points, during his team Victoria's recent clash against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
Pattinson admitted the offence and accepted the penalty and as a result, there was no need of a formal hearing.
"I made a mistake in the heat of the moment. Straight away I realised I was in the wrong, and I apologised immediately, both to the opponent and to the umpires," the International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Pattinson as saying.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia’s Head of Integrity and Security, Sean Caroll said that Pattinson has admitted that he fell short of maintaining the highest standards of behaviour during the Sheffield Shield clash.
"We have a duty to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and the action taken in this matter demonstrates that.On this occasion, James acknowledges he fell short of that expectation," he said.
This is not the first time Pattinson was found guilty of violating Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct. In March this year, the fast bowler was found guilty of two separate Level 1 breaches.
Four such offences within a span of 18 months could result in 12 suspension points. It means if Pattinson commits another breach in the next 10 months, he could be suspended for either six matches in the longest format of the game or 12 One-Day Internationals (ODI) or a combination of both.
