In the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match, both the cricket teams faced penalties for slow over-rates in their first Rawalpindi series test. This led to lost vital points on the World Test Championship (WTC) table. As the competition heats up, their standings have become more complex.
Points Deduction and Fines Imposed: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
The International Cricket Council (ICC) penalized, when umpire Ranjan Madugalle saw both teams didn’t meet the expected over-rate. Pakistan ended up six overs short, causing them to lose six WTC points. Whereas, Bangladesh was short by three overs, causing a three-point loss.
Besides the point loss, the players also had to give up part of their match payments. Pakistan’s team faced a 30% fine. Bangladesh’s team had a 15% fine.
These penalties came from Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct. This Article talks about not meeting the minimum over-rate. It says each player will lose 5% of their match fee for each over their team is short. And according to Article 16.11.2 in the WTC rules, teams drop one WTC point for each over they don’t finish on time.
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Impact on World Test Championship Standings
Pakistan and Bangladesh’s status in the WTC rankings took a hit because of the points reduction. Pakistan, already not doing great, slid even more. Their total of 22 points came down to 16. Despite this, they’re still ahead of the West Indies in eighth place with a 22.22 percent score.
Bangladesh, previously sixth after a victory, fell to seventh. They now have 21 points and a percentage score of 35, placing them below South Africa, who managed to climb ranks amid struggles.
Possible Factors Behind the Slow Over-Rates in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh
It’s not usual for Pakistan to select an all-pace bowling team for a home Test. This unusual choice could have led to their slow play pace in the Rawalpindi Test. It’s only the second time in 28 years they chose this setup. They didn’t win. They lost by ten wickets. No spinners could have caused this slower pace. Bangladesh, on the other hand, had two main spinners but still trailed the target play rate. It hints at other factors. Maybe field positioning, game strategies, or delays on the field caused their sluggish play.
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Captains Accept Sanctions
Both team leaders, Shan Masood from Pakistan and Najmul Hossain Shanto from Bangladesh, owned up to slow performances. They said yes to the suggested penalties, so there was no need for an official meeting.
Conclusion
The slap on the wrist given to Pakistan and Bangladesh for not speeding up their games is a clear signal. It shows that sticking to the World Test Championship rules matters. Both teams have a rough road ahead in this competition. The point loss piles on more stress as they scramble to climb the ranks in the next games. This slip-up brings Pakistan uncomfortably close to the last-spot West Indies. For Bangladesh, dropping to the seventh spot puts them on shaky ground. The fight for a spot in the WTC is heating up.