Islamabad, Feb 13: The Pakistani trio of pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, and Kamran Ghulam have been penalized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct during their Tri-Nation Series match against South Africa in Karachi. Despite Pakistan’s memorable victory, the match was marred by on-field tensions and drama between the two teams.
The incidents began during South Africa’s batting innings, where Shaheen got involved in a verbal altercation with Matthew Breetzke. This escalated when Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam celebrated Temba Bavuma’s dismissal in an animated manner, further fueling the tensions. The fireworks continued throughout Pakistan’s innings until Tayyab Tahir hit the winning runs after contributions from Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo Tops List as Highest-Paid Athlete of 2024 with $260 Million Earnings
Shaheen Afridi was docked 25% of his match fee for violating Article 2.12 of the ICC Code, which forbids “inappropriate physical contact” during a match. Saud Shakeel and substitute fielder Kamran Ghulam were fined 10% of their match fees for breaching Article 2.5, which relates to gestures or conduct that could provoke aggressive reactions from a dismissed batter.
Each player received one demerit point, although none of them had prior offences in the last 24 months. The trio accepted the sanctions, avoiding the need for a formal hearing. Despite the penalties, Pakistan secured a spot in the Tri-Nation Series final against New Zealand, scheduled for February 14.
