Pakistan’s woes at the World Test Championship deepened after the ICC docked the side eight points and fined the players 40 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow overrate during the opening Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
The punishment came a few days later Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat by 104 runs against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Already under pressure after the loss, Pakistan faced another setback as the ICC confirmed that they had fallen eight overs short of the required rate after taking time reserves into account.
“Pakistan have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee and forfeited eight ICC World Test Championship points for slow speeding,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The offense came in the first Test against Bangladesh at Mirpur in Dhaka, after the side had bowled eight overs.
The ICC further confirmed that match referee Jeff Crowe had imposed the sanctions after Pakistan captain Shan Masood pleaded guilty to the offence.
“A statement from the International Criminal Court confirmed that match referee Jeff Crowe had flagged the Pakistan team for a whopping eight overs across the match; Pakistan captain Shan Masood pleaded guilty to the charges, removing the need for any hearing.”
Under ICC regulations, teams forfeit five percent of their match fee and one World Test Championship point for each time the limit is exceeded. Pakistan’s deficit of more than eight points therefore resulted in a 40 percent penalty and an eight-point deduction.
“The 40% and eight-point deduction follows the provisions in the ICC and WTC playing conditions that state teams lose 5% of their match fee plus one point in the WTC points table for each delay.”
The penalty severely damaged Pakistan’s position in the WTC table. Pakistan collected 12 points from one win and two defeats in the cycle before the sanction. The deduction now leaves them with just four points and a run percentage of 11.11, pushing them down to ninth place alongside the West Indies.
The defeat in Dhaka has already exposed Pakistan’s batting weaknesses. Pakistan struggled to survive on day five, collapsing from 119 for 3 to 168 as the Bangladeshi bowlers cashed in on a worn Mirpur pitch.
“The Dhaka match itself was a bitter disappointment as Pakistan collapsed from 119/3 to 168 in the final innings and were unable to hold on to a draw against a Bangladesh team that made full use of a tired pitch from the fifth day at Mirpur.”
The Bangladesh attack was led by fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose spell sparked a dramatic collapse for Pakistan either side of the tea break.
The latest tally leaves Pakistan far behind the leading teams in the WTC rankings. Australia currently leads the table with 87.5 per cent, followed by New Zealand with 77.8 per cent, while South Africa also strengthened their position after upsetting India.
This is only the second point deduction in the current WTC cycle and is significantly more severe than the two-point penalty handed out to England during the Lord’s Test against India last year.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
15 May 2026 15:39 IST
