The Pakistan national cricket team faces a financial penalty after being found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate in their opening ODI clash with Sri Lanka. The ICC has mandated a 20% deduction from the players’ match fees. The incident occurred during the match played on November 11th in Rawalpindi, where Pakistan achieved a comfortable win. Post-game, the match referee, Ali Naqvi, imposed the sanction, determining the team to be four overs behind schedule. This led to the ODI, which concluded in four hours, being subject to the ICC’s disciplinary measures. Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct outlines a 5% fine per short over. The impact of the slow over-rate meant an additional fielder had to be placed inside the ring from the 46th over onwards. Pakistan’s captain, Shaheen Afridi, accepted the offense, streamlining the process and bypassing a formal hearing.
