Champions Trophy: Pakistan team penalised for slow over rate in opener

The Pakistan team was on Thursday fined five percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The tournament hosts and defending champions lost to the Kiwis by 60 runs on Wednesday.

Pakistan were found one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, the ICC said.

While on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula, third umpire Joel Wilson and fourth umpire Alex Wharf levelled the charge, match referee Andy Pycroft imposed the sanction, deducting five percent of match fee. 

Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence with no formal hearing required thereafter.

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over if their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

Hosting an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996, Pakistan were comfortably defeated by the Black Caps in the Group A opening fixture.

Rizwan and his side will be in action against India next in a must-win contest in Dubai on Sunday.