ICC suspends England skipper Morgan for Pakistan ODI due to slow over-rate

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday suspended England captain Eoin Morgan for one ODI and fined 40 per cent of his match fee, while the rest of the team was fined 20pc of their match fees, for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday.

Richie Richardson, of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, imposed the suspension on Morgan after England were ruled to be two overs short after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Read more: England clinch 3rd ODI by 6 wickets, take unassailable 2-0 lead against Pakistan

In accordance with Article 2.22.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10pc of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As Morgan had previously been found guilty of a minor over-rate offence during the Barbados ODI against the West Indies on Feb 22, this offence constituted his second minor over-rate offence within a 12-month period.

The suspension means Morgan will miss the fourth ODI against Pakistan in Nottingham on Friday.

Meanwhile, England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, also during the third ODI against Pakistan in Bristol.

Bairstow was also found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”.

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Bairstow, for whom it was his first offence since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016.

The incident occurred in the 29th over of England’s innings, when Bairstow struck the stumps with his bat after being dismissed.

Bairstow admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Michael Gough and Paul Reiffel, and third umpire Chris Gaffaney laid the charges.