Azhar Ali banned for one ODI due to slow over-rate in Pakistan’s loss to Australia

Azhar Ali, Pakistan’s ODI captain, has been suspended for one game and fined 40 percent of his match fee for the team’s slow over-rate in the Adelaide ODI against Australia.

Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali has been suspended for one match and fined 40 percent of his match fee for the team’s slow over-rate in Thursday’s game against Australia.

Azhar Ali has been banned for one ODI for maintaining a slow over-rate during Pakistan’s ODI loss to Australia in Adelaide. (AFP)

Pakistan were ruled to be two overs short of their target during the 57-run loss in the fifth and final match of the series in Adelaide, the International Cricket Council said in a statement.

It was the 31-year-old Azhar’s second slow over-rate offence in the last 12 months, leading to his suspension from Pakistan’s next 50-over match, currently scheduled against West Indies in April.

Azhar was also sanctioned during an ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on Jan. 31 last year.

Players are fined 10 percent of their match fee while the captain is docked double the amount for every over a side is found to have failed to bowl in the allotted time, according to the ICC’s code of conduct.

Pakistan ended their tour to Australia on a disastrous note. After being whitewashed 3-0 in the Tests, they were hammered 4-1 in the ODI series. This result puts them in danger of not qualifying automatically for the 2019 World Cup to be held in England.