Sri Lanka Slow Over-Rate Fine in Tri-Series

The International Cricket Council has penalised Sri Lanka for a slow over-rate in their Pakistan-hosted ODI tri-series match against England. The match took place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, and the ruling was announced on Saturday, while Sri Lanka were playing Pakistan in the tri-series final at the same ground.

Sri Lanka were found to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into account. Match referee Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Sri Lanka slow over-rate: what the ICC ruled

Under the rule, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for each over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. With Sri Lanka one over short, the players received a fine of five per cent of their match fees for the England match.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis accepted the charge. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid levelled the charge, along with third umpire Wayne Knights and fourth umpire Nassir Hussain. Because Mendis accepted the offence, no formal hearing was needed.

Over-rate rules exist to keep matches on schedule. A side must bowl its overs within the time set for the innings, after allowances for stoppages such as injuries, wickets and other delays outside the fielding side’s control. When a side falls short, the fine follows from the number of overs missed, not from the match result.

Second offence in the same tri-series

The England match was not Sri Lanka’s first over-rate offence in the tournament. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were both reprimanded after the tri-series opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium earlier this month, when both sides were found to be one over short. The players on both sides were fined five per cent of their match fees on that occasion as well.

Two offences in one short tournament point to a wider problem with the pace of play in the series. The opener and the England match both ran behind the required rate, even though the two matches took place at different grounds and in different conditions. The repeat offence also explains why the ICC ruling drew attention on the day of the final, when Sri Lanka were back at Gaddafi Stadium facing Pakistan.

Pakistan won that final by three wickets, chasing 326 with nine balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman scored 127, and Sri Lanka’s total of 325 proved just short. Feature Pakistan reported on Pakistan’s tri-series final win over Sri Lanka and on Shadab Khan being ruled out of the final on medical grounds.

What the fine means

The fine itself is small in money terms, at five per cent of one match fee. Its value lies in the record it creates. A side that repeats the offence builds a pattern, and the ICC watches that pattern across a tournament and a season. Captains carry a clear duty to keep their bowlers moving between overs, to set fields promptly and to avoid needless delays.

For Sri Lanka, the matter is now closed for this match, since Mendis accepted the charge and no hearing will follow. The team will want to avoid a third offence, which would raise fresh questions about its on-field discipline. For Pakistan, the opener’s shared reprimand is a reminder that the same duty applied to the hosts as well.

Frequently asked questions

Why were Sri Lanka fined in the tri-series?

Sri Lanka were one over short of the required over-rate in their tri-series match against England at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, after time allowances were taken into account.

How much were the Sri Lanka players fined?

The players were fined five per cent of their match fees, which is the standard fine under Article 2.22 for each over a side falls short.

Who imposed the Sri Lanka over-rate sanction?

Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction, after the charge was levelled by the four umpires for the match.

Was this Sri Lanka’s first over-rate offence in the tri-series?

No. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were both fined after the tri-series opener at Rawalpindi, when both sides were also one over short of the target.