Pakistan have been fined five per cent of their match fee for a slow over-rate during their Group A match against India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 14.
The penalty was imposed by Trudy Anderson of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees after Pakistan were found to be one over short of the required over-rate once all-time allowances were taken into account.
As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with slow over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their team fails to complete in the allotted time.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana admitted the offence and accepted the penalty, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charge was made by on-field umpires Claire Polosak and Jacqueline Williams, along with third umpire Eloise Sheridan and fourth umpire Sue Redfern.
The penalty came after a difficult day for Pakistan, who suffered a heavy defeat against India in one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
India batted first and scored 170/6 from their 20 overs. Smriti Mandhana led the innings with a brilliant 68 from 44 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes. India lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues early, but Mandhana played a key role in rebuilding the innings and keeping the scoreboard moving.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur supported her well with 36 runs from 35 balls. Later, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh gave India a strong finish with a quick 34 off just 17 deliveries, including five fours and a six. Deepti Sharma remained unbeaten on 12 from nine balls as India finished with a challenging total.
Pakistan began their chase in a positive way and reached 52/1 at the end of the Powerplay. Muneeba Ali and Ayesha Zafar looked comfortable and helped Pakistan make a strong start.
However, India slowly took control through disciplined bowling and sharp fielding. The turning point came when Deepti Sharma produced an outstanding spell. The experienced all-rounder took 5 wickets for just 10 runs in her four overs, breaking the heart of Pakistan’s batting line-up.
Left-arm spinner Shree Charani also made an important contribution with figures of 3/21 from four overs. Together, the two bowlers made it difficult for Pakistan to build partnerships or keep up with the required run rate.
India’s fielding performance was equally impressive. The team completed nine catches and a run-out during Pakistan’s innings. Harmanpreet Kaur led the effort with three catches. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues took two catches each, while Bharti Fulmali and Shreyanka Patil added one catch apiece. Deepti Sharma was involved in the run-out of Muneeba Ali, whose dismissal for 41 proved to be a key moment in the match.
Pakistan eventually lost all ten wickets for 106 runs in 17 overs, handing India a convincing 64-run victory. For her all-round impact, including her match-winning bowling spell, Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Match. While India celebrated an excellent win to strengthen their World Cup campaign, Pakistan were left disappointed after both the defeat and the slow over-rate penalty.
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