Misbah suspended for one Test

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Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been suspended for one Test and fined 40 per cent of his match fee, while his players have been fined 20 per cent of their match fees, for maintaining a slow over-rate during New Zealand’s eight-wicket victory in the Christchurch Test, which ended on Sunday.

Richie Richardson of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the suspension on Misbah after Pakistan was ruled to be two overs short of its target of 103 overs after time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with Article 2.5.1 and Appendix 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel, which deals with minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As Misbah had previously been found guilty of a minor over-rate offence during The Oval Test against England in August 2016, this offence constituted his second minor over-rate offence within a 12-month period.

The suspension means Misbah will miss the second Test against New Zealand which starts in Hamilton on Friday, 25 November.

The charge was laid by on-field umpires Ian Gould and S.Ravi of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, third umpire Simon Fry of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires, and fourth official Shaun Haig.

The Test in Christchurch had been Misbah’s fiftieth Test as captain of Pakistan, at this stage it is unclear who will lead Pakistan in the second Test but they have veteran Younus Khan and limited overs captains Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed available.

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