Former India and Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer has strongly criticised Yashasvi Jaiswal for his physical confrontation with Sri Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo. Jaffer described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and suggested that frustration over Jaiswal’s recent performances may have contributed to his reaction.

Jaiswal was involved in a heated exchange with Fernando after the Sri Lankan pacer dismissed him for 45 on the opening day. The confrontation escalated as the two players came face-to-face, with their helmets making contact. The International Cricket Council (ICC) subsequently found both players guilty of breaching Article 2.12 of its Code of Conduct, which relates to inappropriate physical contact.

Both cricketers accepted the charges. Jaiswal was handed a 25 per cent match-fee fine and one demerit point for the offence. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Wasim Jaffer made it clear that he expected better from the young Indian opener, particularly because of the influence he has on aspiring cricketers.

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“This is totally unacceptable. This sort of behavior should never happen,” Wasim Jaffer said, while pointing out that Jaiswal has not consistently delivered the big scores expected of him.

According to Wasim Jaffer, the pressure surrounding Jaiswal’s performances could have played a role in the incident. The former opener noted that Jaiswal has opportunities in Test cricket and needs to convert them into substantial scores, particularly when his appearances in the limited-overs formats have been inconsistent.

Jaffer also acknowledged that Jaiswal may have been provoked by something Fernando said. However, he stressed that without knowing exactly what was said, there was no justification for responding physically. “Unless the bowler said something really inappropriate, which we don’t know about from here, reacting like that and being physical is not acceptable,” Jaffer added.

The former India batter also highlighted that this was not the first time Jaiswal had attracted attention for his on-field reactions. He urged the youngster to understand the responsibility that comes with being a prominent Indian cricketer.

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Jaiswal later suggested on social media that Fernando had crossed the line verbally before the confrontation. However, Jaffer maintained that even if the Indian opener was provoked, walking away would have been the better response. Jaiswal scored 45 before being dismissed by Fernando, while India eventually declared their first innings at 503/9 in Colombo. The incident has since become one of the major talking points from the second Test.