Pakistan Fined for Slow Over Rate in Tri-Series Final Win Against Sri Lanka

Photo: ARY News / AFP

Pakistan lifted the tri-series trophy in Lahore on Saturday night, then woke up on Monday to a bill from the ICC. The world body fined the players 5 percent of their match fee for bowling too slowly in the final against Sri Lanka, a small sting on the back of a famous win.

ESPNcricinfo reported that Pakistan were found one over short after time allowances were counted. The charge falls under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which sets a 5 percent fine for every over a side fails to bowl in the allowed time.

Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction, so no hearing was needed. Match referee Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel imposed the fine, on a charge laid by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Wayne Knights, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Rashid Riaz.

The fine does not change the result, and that is the part fans will hold on to. Pakistan chased Sri Lanka's 326 at Gaddafi Stadium and won by three wickets with nine balls left, a joint record chase in an ODI final. Fakhar Zaman's 127 led the way, with Saad Baig making 74 and Arafat Minhas smashing 61 off 31 balls, as we covered in our report on the tri-series final in Lahore.

There is a pattern here that the team will want to fix. This was Pakistan's second slow over rate offence in the same tri-series. In the opening match at Rawalpindi on 18 October, also against Sri Lanka, they were two overs short and were docked 10 percent of their match fee.

Slow over rates have already cost sides in this series. England were fined 15 percent for finishing three overs short in their Lahore game against Pakistan, the same match where Haris Rauf was fined 20 percent of his match fee for a code breach. And Sri Lanka's batting form in the series, including their 55 run loss to England in Lahore, showed how quickly a Lahore total can get away from a bowling side that falls behind the clock.

For Pakistan, the practical point is simple. The money is small next to a trophy, but over rates are now a habit, not a one off, and the next offence in a bigger tournament would hurt more. The side now moves on to a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting on 9 November, where the clock works differently but discipline still counts.

The key figures:

• 5 percent of match fee fined, for one over short in the Lahore final
• 326 chased by Pakistan, winning by 3 wickets with 9 balls left
• 127 by Fakhar Zaman, 74 by Saad Baig, 61 off 31 by Arafat Minhas
• 10 percent fined in the Rawalpindi opener, for two overs short
• 2 slow over rate offences for Pakistan in this one tri-series

Sources

• ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan fined for slow over rate in tri-series final win against Sri Lanka
• Sportstar, Pakistan fined for slow over rate despite winning the ODI Tri-Series final vs Sri Lanka

What happens next is the Test series against Sri Lanka from 9 November, where Pakistan will want the headlines to stay on the cricket.

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