Pakistan team’s troubles just increased as after losing the first Test against Australia in Perth by 360 runs, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday, announced that the Shan Masood-led side was fined for a slow over-rate offense.
Pakistan side had dropped to No.2 position on the WTC 2023-25 standings after losing the first of the three-Test series to Australia in Perth. Asked to chase 450 runs to win in two days, Pakistan was bundled out for 89 runs on day 4 itself by Australia bowlers.
And now ICC fined the Pakistan team 10 percent of their match fee and penalized two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against Australia in the first Test in Perth.
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"Pakistan were penalized for maintaining a slow over-rate against Australia in the first Test in Perth. The visitors were fined 10 percent of their match fee and two ICC World Test Championship points were deducted from their total," ICC announced in an official statement.
The fine was handed by Javagal Srinath of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees after Pakistan was ruled to be two overs short of the target when time allowances were taken into account.
"In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offenses, players are fined five percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," a statement by ICC further read.
Furthermore, per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing regulations, a side is fined one point for each over that is not completed. As a result, Pakistan's World Test Championship points total has been reduced by two. Thanks to this fine, Pakistan’s points in the WTC 2023-25 have dropped from 66.67 to 61.11.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood pled guilty to the offense and accepted the suggested sentence, leaving no need for a formal hearing.
"On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Michael Gough, and fourth umpire Donovan Koch leveled the charge," it further read.
(ANI inputs)
