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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has penalized Pakistan for maintaining a slow over rate during their opening game against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Mohammad Rizwan-led side was found one over short of the required rate, leading to a fine and an in-game penalty.
The on-field umpires, Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula, along with third umpire Joel Wilson and fourth umpire Alex Wharf, reported the offence. Subsequently, match referee Andy Pycroft imposed a fine, deducting 5% of the match fee from each player, as per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Since Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence, there was no formal hearing.
Pakistan sanctioned after the #ChampionsTrophy opener against New Zealand.
Details ⬇️https://t.co/Smt9hrOZgU
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— ICC (@ICC) February 20, 2025
As a result of the slow over rate, Pakistan was required to position an additional fielder inside the 30-yard circle during the final over of New Zealand’s innings. The penalty added to Pakistan’s woes, as they suffered a 60-run defeat in the opening clash of the tournament.
Batting first, New Zealand dominated the game with centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, propelling them to a strong total of 320 runs. In response, Pakistan struggled early on, registering just 22/2 in the powerplay, their joint-lowest powerplay score since 2024. Despite a half-century from Babar Azam and some resistance from Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah, Pakistan fell short in their chase.
This punishment comes as a significant setback for Pakistan ahead of their much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy. With mounting pressure, Rizwan and his team will need to regroup quickly to keep their campaign on track.
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