The Pakistan cricket team was penalised on Thursday for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the first ODI match of the three-game series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
Salman Ali Agha scored his second career ODI ton as Pakistan won Tuesday’s series opener by just six runs, after defending the target of 300 runs.
The International Cricket Council imposed the sanctions on Pakistan for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first ODI, and hence the team was fined 20 per cent of their match fee. The Shaheen Afridi-led side was ruled to be four overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. 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 each over their team fails to bowl within the stipulated time.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Alex Wharf and Asif Yaqoob, along with third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Rashid Riaz. Ali Naqvi of the Emirates ICC Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions, and captain Shaheen accepted it, and hence, there was no formal hearing.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ODI series was left in limbo after eight Sri Lanka players wanted to leave Pakistan and return home, citing security concerns after a suicide bomber killed 12 people outside a court in Islamabad, hours before the first ODI in nearby Rawalpindi. However, However, Sri Lanka Cricket instructed the team to complete the series after receiving security assurances from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The remaining two matches were subsequently rescheduled for Friday and Sunday.
Following the ODI series, Sri Lanka will also play a tri-nation T20I series in Pakistan, which will involve Zimbabwe as well.