Wicketkeeper-batman Jos Buttler has been fined for calling Proteas all-rounder Vernon Philander a ‘f***ing knobhead’ on day five of the second Test at Newlands in Cape Town this week.

Buttler was found guilty of a level-one breach of the International Cricket Council code of conduct. He lost 15% of the match fee and his disciplinary record also received one demerit point.

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On-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Chris Gaffaney and reserve umpire Allahudien Palekar initially levelled the charges. Buttler later accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft.

‘It was just two guys playing hard Test cricket. Emotions were running quite high and I don’t think anyone overstepped the mark. You want a bit of spice on the television anyway,’ said England captain Joe Root.

England won by 189 runs on the back of a Player of the Match performance from all-rounder Ben Stokes. The Proteas had won the series opener at SuperSport Park in Centurion inside four days. St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth will host the third Test. The fourth and final Test will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

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