Friday to forget: More misery for Pakistan cricket team

Record blemished, pockets lighter for Misbah's men

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team were dealt a second blow on Friday when they were fined 20% of their match fee for bowling at a slow over-rate in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket.

The penalty capped a miserable day for the Men in Green, whose batting line-up collapsed dramatically to suffer an embarrassing innings and 18-run loss.

The visitors were still licking their wounds when Ranjan Madugalle of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, as if to rub salt, served captain Misbahul Haq with the notice that his team came up two overs short of the target they were supposed to bowl during the time they were out in the field.

The penalty goes double for skipper Misbah, whose pay packet for the match will be 40% lighter after he pleaded guilty to the charges levelled at his team by the umpiring quartet of Ian Gould, Sundaram Ravi, Richard Illingworth and Sam Nogajski.

As per the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel's Article 2.5.1, teams with slow over rates are fined 10% of their match fees for every over rate they fall short by. The fine is doubled for captains.