Pakistan has been fined 30 per cent of their match fee and penalized six ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate in the Test match against Bangladesh. The penalty was enforced by Ranjan Madugalle, a member of the Emirates ICC Panel of Elite Match Referees, who determined that Pakistan was six overs short of the target after accounting for time allowances.
Bangladesh Faces Fines and Points Deduction
Bangladesh also faced consequences for slow over-rates, with the team being fined 15 per cent of their match fee and losing three WTC points. Bangladesh was found to be three overs short of the target, leading to the penalties being imposed.
According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the allotted time. Additionally, per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, teams are penalized one WTC point for each over short.
Captains Shan Masood and Najmul Hossain Shanto Accept Penalties
Captains Shan Masood of Pakistan and Najmul Hossain Shanto of Bangladesh pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions without contest, eliminating the need for formal hearings.
Shakib Al Hasan Fined for Conduct Breach
In a separate incident, Bangladesh’s all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was fined 10 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Rawalpindi Test. Shakib was found guilty of violating Article 2.9, which pertains to “throwing a ball or any other item of cricket equipment in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.”
The incident occurred during the 33rd over of Pakistan’s second innings when Shakib threw the ball towards the batter in a manner that caused it to go over Mohammad Rizwan’s head, narrowly missing the wicketkeeper. As a result, one demerit point has been added to Shakib’s disciplinary record, marking his first offence within a 24-month period.
Shakib admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Ranjan Madugalle, thereby avoiding a formal hearing. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Adrian Holdstock, along with third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire Rashid Riaz.
Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, with the possibility of a maximum fine of up to 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
These penalties serve as a reminder of the strict enforcement of over-rate regulations and player conduct by the ICC. As both teams move forward in the World Test Championship, the importance of maintaining discipline on and off the field cannot be overstated.
