Elton Chigumbura suspended for two ODIs for slow over-rate

Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura has been suspended for two ODIs for maintaining a slow over-rate during his side’s first One-Day International against Pakistan in Lahore on Tuesday.

The Zimbabwe side was ruled to be three overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

As such, ICC remote match referee Roshan Mahanama handed Chigumbura two suspension points while each of his players received a 40-per-cent fine (10 per cent for each of the first two overs and 20 per cent for the third over), as required in Appendix 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which deals with minimum over-rate requirements, calculations, reporting, disciplinary process and sanctions.

According to Articles 7.4.1 and 7.5.3 of the Code, the imposition of two suspension points means that Chigumbura will now miss Zimbabwe’s final two ODIs to be played in Lahore on Friday and Sunday.

The offence is contrary to Article 2.5.2 of the Code which relates to serious over-rate offences only and reads: “where the actual over rate in any Test Match or any other International Match of at least four days in duration is more than five overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, or, in any One Day International Match, Twenty20 International Match or any other International Match of fifty (50) or twenty (20) overs per side, is more than two overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, such an offence shall be considered a “Serious Over Rate Offence”.

The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Russell Tiffin, third umpire Ahmed Shahab and reserve umpire Shozab Raza.

Chigumbura pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted without the need for a formal hearing.

If Chigumbura is found guilty of a second serious over-rate offence in an ODI over the next 12 months, he will receive a sanction of between two and eight suspension points as per the provisions of the Code.