By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa’s left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was on Saturday (October 11, 2025) handed one demerit point by the ICC for breaching its Level 1 Code of Conduct during the women’s World Cup match against India.
The incident occurred in the 17th over of India’s innings, when Mlaba, after dismissing Harleen Deol, waved goodbye to the batter, which an ICC release on Saturday noted, “could have provoked an aggressive response”
Mlaba was judged to have breached Article 2.5, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
She admitted the offence and accepted sanction proposed by match referee Trudy Anderson. The sanction also included an official reprimand.
Mlaba will carry this demerit point into a 24-month period. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within this period, they can be suspended for one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is.
South Africa clinched a thriller against India on Thursday, chasing down 252 to post their second win in three games of the World Cup.