Pakistan has been fined 5% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their last ODI match against New Zealand in the 3rd ODI.
According to the ICC's violation code 2.22, Pakistan failed to complete their quota of overs within the allotted time, which resulted in each player being fined 5% of their match fee. Since the team was one over behind, match referee Jeff Crowe imposed this sanction based on reports from on-field umpires Chris Brown and Paul Reiffel, along with third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire Wayne Knights.
Pakistan's captain, Mohammed Rizwan, acknowledged the slow over-rate offense, which eliminated the need for a further hearing and simplified the council's responsibilities.
This fine adds insult to injury following Pakistan's struggles in the series. They lost all three ODIs to New Zealand and faced additional challenges, such as Khushdil Shah's incident during the last ODI and Rizwan’s issues with the board regarding his domestic team commitments.
This year has been particularly difficult for Pakistan cricket, as they have been under tremendous pressure since being named the host of the ICC Champions Trophy. Despite this prestigious designation, they have failed to win a match in the tournament, with one game ending in a tie. Additionally, they fielded a young team in the T20I series against New Zealand, which resulted in a significant defeat.
Looking ahead, Pakistan will begin their Pakistan Super League 2025 (PSL), set to start on April 11, 2025. This season marks the first time Pakistan's marquee tournament will coincide with the IPL 2025.
