World Test Championships: Pakistan Penalised 8 WTC Points For Maintaining Slow Over Rate

Pakistan have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee and lost eight ICC World Test Championship points for a slow over rate. The offence came in the first Test against Bangladesh at Mirpur in Dhaka, after the side finished eight overs short.

Match referee Jeff Crowe, from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, imposed the sanction. Pakistan were ruled to be eight overs short of the target after time allowances. These allowances cover factors like injuries and referrals during the Dhaka Test match.

What Is The ICC Code Of Conduct?

The penalties follow Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. This article covers minimum over-rate offences. Under it, players lose five per cent of their match fee for every over not bowled in time. Pakistan’s total shortfall was eight overs.

Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions sets points sanctions. A team loses one point for each over short of the required rate. As Pakistan were eight overs short, eight World Test Championship points were removed from their total.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood pled guilty to the slow over-rate offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so no formal hearing took place. On-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Kumar Dharmasena, third umpire Allahuddien Palekar, and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel laid the charge after the first Test.

WTC Updated Standings

Interestingly, only the West Indies is the only team yet to register a victory in the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship.

After every team has played their allocated number of Tests in a World Test Championship cycle, the top two teams contest in the final to decide the World Test Champions. South Africa is the reigning World Test Champions.