In a recent decision, Pakistan faced a reduction of six World Test Championship (WTC) points and a 30% cut from their match fee due to a slow over rate in the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Led by Shan Masood, Pakistan was found to be six overs short, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to impose these penalties. Masood acknowledged the breach and accepted the sanctions, which also saw Bangladesh fined three WTC points and 15% of their match fee for similar infractions.
The impact on the WTC standings saw Pakistan remaining in eighth place, while Bangladesh fell to seventh. South Africa, meanwhile, advanced to sixth place as a result of these changes.
In a separate incident, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan was fined 10% of his match fee and received a demerit point for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct. Shakib was reprimanded for throwing the ball at Mohammad Rizwan during the 33rd over of the second innings, which contravened Article 2.9 of the Code concerning inappropriate conduct.
On the field, Bangladesh secured a historic 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Rawalpindi Test. Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan played pivotal roles, combining for seven wickets and dismantling the Pakistani side for just 146 runs on the final day. With only 30 runs needed for victory, openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam achieved the target in just 6.3 overs, with Zakir hitting the winning boundary and Shadman remaining unbeaten.
