New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Pakistan have been hit with a double sanction for maintaining a slow over rate during their third Test defeat against England at Edgbaston, which has pushed them down to a single-digit percentage in the World Test Championship.
Pakistan have been handed a fine of 50 per cent of their match fees and have also been deducted 11 WTC points for being 11 overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration during their eight-wicket loss to England in Birmingham, ICC stated.
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Allahudien Palekar, and fourth umpire Russell Warren and Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction on the Babar Azam-led side after a horrific 0-3 whitewash to England.
This has forced Pakistan to slip into single digits in the points percentage. They were already dead bottom in ninth place in the WTC standings following their Birmingham defeat with a PCT of 14.81.
However, this 11-point deduction has sent their PCT to 4.63 per cent. They now have only five points from nine matches after this latest deduction. They have won two matches and lost seven in the ongoing WTC cycle, but their slow-over rate offences have now cost them 19 of their 24 points.
Before this 11-point deduction, Pakistan were also docked eight points due to their slow-over rate in the Dhaka Test against Bangladesh in May this year.
Australia continue to hold the top spot in the WTC standings. They have 96 points and a PCT of 80 per cent after their 1-1 draw against Bangladesh. South Africa occupy the second spot with 36 points from four matches and a PCT of 75, followed by New Zealand, who sit close in third with a PCT of 72.22 per cent from six matches.
Bangladesh are ahead of India due to their Darwin win and occupy the fourth spot with a PCT of 55.56 per cent in six matches. India have 68 points from 11 games and a PCT of 51.52 after winning the two-match Sri Lanka series 1-0, where they failed to win the second rubber.
England are sixth with a PCT of 38.54 following their win over Pakistan in the third Test. Sri Lanka and West Indies are seventh and eighth, respectively, in the points table. The Lankan side has a PCT of 33.33 in six matches, while the Windies tally a PCT of 20.83 from 12 games.
–IANS
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