Pakistan fined for slow over-rate for third time in four ODIs

Pakistan incurred an over-rate offence for a second game in a row against New Zealand after they were found one over short in the second ODI in Hamilton. The players were fined 5% of their match fees after captain Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence.

Match referee Jeff Crowe imposed the sanction as per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which governs over-rate offences. Players are fined 5% of their match fees for each over the team falls short of bowling in the given time. On-field umpires Michael Gough and Wayne Knights, third umpire Paul Reiffel, and fourth umpire Chris Brown levelled the charge.

Pakistan were found two overs short in the opening ODI of the three-game series in Napier, where they lost by 73 runs. They went down in the second ODI by 84 runs to concede the series with a match to spare. Pakistan slipped to 72 for 7 in their chase of 293 and only managed to get to 208 because of fifties from No. 7 Faheem Ashraf and No. 10 Naseem Shah. This was after New Zealand wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay scored an unbeaten 99 to help them post 292, and that was followed by fast bowler Ben Sears registering his ODI-best figures of 5 for 59.

Pakistan were also fined for a slow over-rate in the opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which was also against New Zealand. Thus, this is the third successive match against New Zealand - and third in four completed ODIs - in which Pakistan have been docked for an over-rate offence.