A demerit point is given to someone in international cricket who commits an offence that breaches the code of conduct for players and player support personal.
The code was first introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September 2016.
Offences that can lead to players and support staff being given demerit points include dissent, abuse of equipment, foul language and public criticism of officials.
During a two-year period, a player’s demerit points are converted into suspension points.
Two suspension points mean a ban for either one Test, two one-day internationals or two Twenty-20 internationals, depending on which of those come first for the player or member of support staff in question.
Demerit points last on a player’s record for two years from the date of the offence and are expunged upon expiry.
A player given demerit points can also by fined some – or all – of their match fee.
Demerit points are given out depending on the severity of the offence, which are ranked from level one to level four, with four the most serious.
Level one incidents are given one or two demerit points. Level two incidents are given three or four demerit points. Level three incidents are given five or six demerit points and level four incidents are given seven or eight demerit points.
Eight demerit points equate to four suspension points, meaning missing either two Test matches or four white-ball internationals.
The points system for offences is similar to the process in Formula1 for drivers, with suspensions coming from an accumulation of points, as well those points having an expiry date.
In 2017, India spinner Ravindra Jadeja missed a Test match against Sri Lanka after accumulating six demerit points within a 24-month period.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
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