Pakistan have been hit with a heavy penalty after their slow over-rate in the final Test against England at Edgbaston. The team was found to be 11 overs behind the required rate once all time allowances were considered. England won the match by eight wickets, and now Pakistan face both financial and ranking consequences.
Players will lose 50 percent of their match fees. The side has also been docked 11 points in the ICC World Test Championship. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed the sanctions after umpires Paul Reiffel, Chris Gaffaney, Allahudien Palekar and Russell Warren raised the charge.
The 11-point cut leaves Pakistan ninth in the WTC table with a points percentage of just 4.63. Under ICC rules, teams lose one championship point for every over they fall short, while players are fined five percent of their fee per over, capped at 50 percent.
This latest setback comes after heavy losses in the first two Tests. Pakistan were beaten by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley and then by 194 runs at Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board responded by releasing seven players and calling up five uncapped names including Razaullah, Arafat Minhas, Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Imran Junior and Saad Baig. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal also returned.
The coaching staff was changed as well. Red-ball coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were removed, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking over. Hesson’s first Test assignment ended in another defeat as England chased 130 with eight wickets to spare.
One bright spot was Razaullah’s impressive debut. The fast bowler regularly touched speeds above 140 kph, claimed four wickets including that of Joe Root, and scored a rapid 81 off 63 balls with four fours and nine sixes.
Pakistan next face Sri Lanka at home in November for a two-match WTC series in Rawalpindi and Lahore. The team will hope to improve both their cricket and their over-rate discipline as they try to climb the table.
