Pakistan fined for slow over-rate during second NZ Test

Stand-in captain Azhar Ali fined 100 per cent match fee, players fined 50 per cent

Pakistan Test team, under stand-in captain Azhar Ali, were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test against New Zealand at Hamilton.

Azhar and his men, who lost the match by 138 runs on Tuesday, were found five overs short of their target and thus under International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Article 2.5.1 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

According to the law, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fee while the captain is fined double the amount. Hence, the stand-in captain was fined 100 per cent of his match fee, while players were fined 50 per cent of their match fees.

“Richie Richardson of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fine after Azhar’s side was ruled to be five overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration,” read an ICC media release.

Earlier, Pakistan Test captain Misbahul Haq was suspended for one Test match and fined 40 per cent of match fee after his side maintained a slow over-rate during the eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first Test at Christchurch.

This was 42-year-old’s second minor over-rate offence in a span of 12 months. Earlier, Pakistan were found guilty of a similar offence in the last Test against England at The Oval.

Apart from the captain, the players were also fined 20 per cent of their match fee.

Misbah, under the suspension, will have to miss the second Test against New Zealand which starts on Friday in Hamilton. However, the Test captain was already ruled out of the game because he had to attend to his ailing father-in-law who then died of sickness.