New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has penalised Pakistan eight points in the ongoing World Test Championship Cycle (WTC) 2025-27, and fined 40 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow-over rate in the first Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur.
The ICC, in a statement, said that Shan Masood and Co. were ruled eight overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into account. With this sanction, Pakistan are now on just four points in the WTC standings, and are placed eighth, above West Indies.
“Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the allotted time,” said the ICC statement.
According to Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, teams will lose one championship point for each over short, which resulted in Pakistan being docked eight points. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood has admitted the offence and accepted the proposed charges, which eliminated the need for a formal hearing. The ICC further confirmed that the sanctions were imposed by match referee Jeff Crowe.
“The 40% and eight-point deduction follows stipulations provided in the ICC and WTC playing conditions that state teams will lose 5% of their match fee plus one point in the WTC points table for every over of delay,” the statement further added.
Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 104 runs
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 104 runs in the first Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on May 8. After being asked to bat first, the hosts were bowled out for 413 runs in the first innings.
Captain Najmul Hossein Shanto smashed a brilliant hundred, while Mominul Haque (91) and Mushfiqur Rahim (71) also made valuable contributions with the bat. For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas picked up five wickets, and Shaheen Afridi also took two.
The visitors only managed to score 386/10 in their first innings. Azan Awais scored a century, while Abdullah Fazal, Salman Agha and Mohammed Rizwan also hit fifties. Mehidy Hasan took five wickets, while Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed picked up two each.
After taking a slender first innings lead, the hosts posted 240/9 in the second innings. Skipper Shanto delivered with the bat again and scored 87 runs, while Mominul Haque also amassed 56 runs.
Pakistan needed 267 runs to win the match, but once again, their tentativeness while attempting to save the Test match on Day 5 was evident. The visitors collapsed from 119/3 to 168/1- as Bangladesh’s bowlers took advantage of the worn Mirpur pitch.