The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq from the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, after his side was found guilty of a serious over-rate offence during the fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.
The Pakistan side was ruled to be three overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration, ICC said in a release.
As this was Pakistan's first serious over-rate offence in the past 12 months, Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees handed Misbah two suspension points while each of his players received a 40 per cent fine (10 per cent for each of the first two overs and 20 per cent for the additional over), as required by Appendix 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with minimum over-rate requirements, calculations, reporting, disciplinary process and sanctions.
According to Articles 7.4.1 and 7.5.3 of the Code, the imposition of two suspension points means that Misbah will now miss Pakistan's first Test against Sri Lanka, which starts in Galle from Friday, since such suspension points are to be applied to the subsequent international matches, in which Misbah is most likely to participate on a chronological basis immediately following the announcement of the decision.
The offence violates Article 2.5.2 of the Code, which relates to serious over-rate offences. The charge was laid by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and the home country umpire Ranmore Martinesz as well as third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge and fourth umpire Nilan de Silva.
Misbah pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted without the need for a formal hearing.
