The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined Pakistan 50 percent of their match fee and penalised the side 11 World Test Championship (WTC) points for maintaining a slow over-rate against England in the third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Pakistan were ruled to be 11 overs short of the target once time allowances were taken into consideration.
Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time, with the penalty capped at 50 percent of the match fee. Given Pakistan were 11 overs short, the fine hit the maximum cap.
Under Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is also penalised one point for each over it falls short. As a result, 11 WTC points have been deducted from Pakistan’s total.
Captain Babar Azam pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Allahudien Palekar and fourth umpire Russell Warren.
The penalty comes at the end of a tough tour, with Greenshirts losing the series 3-0 after falling by eight wickets at Edgbaston.
