Pakistan penalised for slow over-rate in the third and final Test against England in Birmingham, the team has been handed a double setback by the International Cricket Council. The sanction, announced by the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, comes after Pakistan were found to have bowled 11 overs short of the required rate, even after time allowances were taken into consideration during the Test, which England won by eight wickets to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
The decision was made by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees following charges levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Allahudien Palekar and fourth umpire Russell Warren. As a result, Pakistan’s players have been fined 50 per cent of their match fees, the maximum penalty under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which stipulates a five per cent fine for every over a side falls short of the required rate.
In addition to the financial penalty, Pakistan have also been deducted 11 points from their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) tally. According to Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, teams lose one championship point for every over they fail to complete within the allotted time. Pakistan have therefore lost all 11 WTC points corresponding to their over-rate shortfall in the Edgbaston Test.
The deduction leaves Pakistan ninth in the WTC standings with a points percentage of 4.63, compounding the disappointment of their series defeat against England. The sanction marks a further blow for Pakistan, who have now been hit with a pair of penalties following their loss in the third WTC27 contest in Birmingham.
Pakistan will next return to WTC action in November when they host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series. The matches are scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore, offering Pakistan a chance to recover some ground in the championship standings.
For now, the penalties serve as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining over rates, and Pakistan will be eager to move past this setback as they prepare for their upcoming home fixtures.
Source: ARY News