Sri Lanka fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in third Test

Courtesy: International Cricket Council

The Sri Lanka team has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third and final Test against England at Southampton.

Alan Hurst of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Kumar Sangakkara’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As such, Sangakkara was fined 40 per cent of his match fee while his players received 20-per-cent fines.

The offence is contrary to Article 2.5.1 of the code which relates to minor over-rate offences. The penalty was accepted by Sri Lanka without contest so there was no need for a hearing.

Note: At its meeting in May, the ICC Cricket Committee discussed the issue of slow over-rates and made the following recommendation to the ICC Board:

The captain of an international side should be suspended for one match if his side is guilty of two minor over-rate offences in the same format over a 12-month period. This would be a tightening of the current ICC Code of Conduct regulations which state that such a punishment is applicable only after three such offences.

The committee also directed the umpires to take stricter action against batting teams guilty of time wasting. These recommendations are a reflection of the committee’s ongoing concern at the current level of over-rates in international cricket.

The ICC Board will consider this recommendation, along with several others made by the ICC Cricket Committee, at its meeting in Hong Kong at the end of this month.