Pakistan face third consecutive slow over-rate fine in New Zealand ODI series

The Pakistan cricket team has been penalised for the third consecutive time for maintaining a slow over-rate in the PAK vs NZ ODI series.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Pakistan cricket team players five per cent of their match fee for the offence in the third ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.

Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after on-field umpires Chris Brown and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire Wayne Knights leveled the charge against Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The national side was ruled to be one over short of the target in the third PAK vs NZ game after time allowances were taken into consideration.

According to the ICC, no further hearing was needed as Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction.

It marked the third fine for the Pakistan cricket team in as many matches during the ODI leg of the New Zealand white-ball tour.

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The series of fines comes amid the poor overall performance of the national side in the white-ball series.

Pakistan cricket team suffered a 4-1 defeat in the PAK vs NZ T20I series, followed by a 3-0 whitewash in the ODIs.

The side tasted just one victory, in the second T20I, due to a fiery ton from opening batter Hasan Nawaz.

The Pakistan batters struggled throughout the tour to adjust to the sustained bounce and movement of New Zealand’s seam attack, and their batsmen were criticised for rash shots in the ODIs and T20Is.