ICC Fines 50% Of Khushdil Shah: The cricket tour of New Zealand by Pakistan kicked off with a sequence of drawbacks, both within and outside the stadium. With a disappointing tournament experience in the ICC Champions Trophy, the team of Pakistan looked to revive its spirit on tour to New Zealand.
Sadly, their first T20 match against New Zealand was a disaster, and the team lost humiliatingly by 9 wickets. Things got worse when one of Pakistan’s players, Khushdil Shah, got into trouble due to an unsportsmanlike act on the field.
Khushdil Shah’s Unfortunate Act During the First T20 Match
The row broke out during the 8th over of Pakistan’s innings while New Zealand’s Zachary Fox bowled. Khushdil Shah was seen momentarily expressing his irritation, and he deliberately shoved Fox. This kind of physical aggression on the pitch immediately drew the attention of the umpires and match officials. The ICC saw it fit to act against Shah for breaching its Code of Conduct.
ICC Fines 50% Of Khushdil Shah match fee
After investigating the matter, the ICC ruled that Khushdil Shah had contravened Article 2.12 of the Code of Conduct, which is the section that addresses physical confrontations between players.
The ICC slapped Shah with a 50% match fee fine as a penalty for his lack of sportsmanship. Apart from the fine, Khushdil also received three demerit points. The demerit points will have serious implications for Shah if he continues to accumulate points in the future.
Behavior Leading To Demerit PointsBuilding up demerit points is a serious issue in cricket since they lead to punishment, which is further punishment. Four demerit points in the 24 months are grounds for ICC suspension.
For Khushdil Shah, it means that if he gets one more demerit point, he is looking at suspension. This means being absent from one Test match, two One-Day Internationals, and T20 matches, depending on the current format he was playing.
Pakistan’s Struggles in the New Zealand T20 Series
Though Khushdil Shah’s conduct created a mess, the Pakistani cricket team’s loss in the first T20 against New Zealand was more serious. Pakistan’s performance was abysmal, with the team not even managing to reach 100 runs in their innings. The match was lost by a humiliating 9 wickets, a serious setback to Pakistan’s morale as they start their New Zealand tour.
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The batting of the team, in general, was severely criticized. The inexperience in the team, particularly in the batting unit, was reflected in their performance. Pakistan’s failure to establish partnerships or achieve a competitive score reflected the weaknesses in their batting order. With this kind of performance, the team’s campaign in New Zealand appeared to be off to a shaky beginning.
A Tough Road Ahead for Pakistan
Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand is proving to be an arduous one both on and off the field.
The poor performance of the team in the first T20 match and Khushdil Shah’s indisciplined act have put additional pressure. Throughout the series, the Pakistan cricket team will have to work on its weakness in batting and make sure that players stay disciplined on and off the field.
With the ICC keeping a close eye on their actions, the team will be looking forward to improved performances in the coming matches so that they do not incur any more sanctions and regain their confidence in international cricket.
