World Cup 2023: Pakistan players fined for slow over-rate against New Zealand

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined Pakistani players 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining the slow over-rate against New Zealand in the World Cup 2023 league stage game on Saturday.

Bengaluru: Pakistan players have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC World Cup league stage game at the famed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 21 runs via the Duckworth Lewis (DLS) method after rain curtailed the high-scoring game to keep their hopes alive for the semifinal spot.

Opener Fakhar Zaman, who scored the fastest century by a Pakistan player in the World Cup received the Player of the Match award for his crucial knock while captain Babar Azam (66 off 63 balls) played a second fiddle to him.

"Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Babar Adam's side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration," a media release by International Cricket Council (ICC) stated.

• Pakistan's emphatic win in Bengaluru has been soured after the side was sanctioned for slow over-rate.
  
  Details 👇#CWC23https://t.co/nH6DXHaBDW

  — ICC (@ICC) November 5, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Pakistan's emphatic win in Bengaluru has been soured after the side was sanctioned for slow over-rate.
  
  Details 👇#CWC23https://t.co/nH6DXHaBDW

  — ICC (@ICC) November 5, 2023

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  Pakistan's emphatic win in Bengaluru has been soured after the side was sanctioned for slow over-rate.
  
  Details 👇#CWC23https://t.co/nH6DXHaBDW

  — ICC (@ICC) November 5, 2023

According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Put into bat first, young New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra (108 off 95 balls) smashed his third ODI World Cup century, the most by a New Zealand player in the World Cup and skipper Kane Williamson amassed 95 runs on his comeback as Kiwis posted the mammoth target of 401 runs.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Paul Wilson and Richard Kettleborough, third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Joel Wilson levelled the charge, the release added.