Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s T20I form continued to let him down as he scored a duck against Zimbabwe in the first match of the Tri Series on Tuesday. This was Babar’s 3rd duck in his last 6 T20I matches and he is currently third in the list of players who have scored the most ducks for Pakistan in the shortest format with 9. The list is topped jointly by Saim Ayub and Umar Akmal who have both scored 10 ducks.
The 31-year-old Babar recently broke a streak of 807 days and 83 international innings without a century last week when he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka in the ODI series in Rawalpindi. In the Zimbabwe match on Tuesday though, his ordinary form in T20Is continued when he was trapped LBW by Brad Evans after just facing 3 balls.
Pakistan, however, won the match by 5 wickets with Fakhar Zaman (44), Usman Khan (37), Mohammad Nawaz (21) and Saim Ayub (22) chipping in as the Men in Green chased down the 147-run target set by Zimbabwe at Rawalpindi.
Babar fined
Babar was fined 10 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point for hitting the stumps with his bat after being dismissed in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
The 31-year-old breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.” In addition, a demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record, making it a first offence for Babar in a 24-month period.
The incident occurred in the 21st over of Pakistan’s innings when Babar hit the stumps with his bat before leaving the crease following his dismissal in the final ODI of the series on Sunday.
On-field umpires Alex Wharf and Rashid Riaz, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire
Faisal Afridi levelled the charge while Ali Naqvi of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees proposed the sanction.
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“The Pakistan batter admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction, negating the need for a formal hearing,” the ICC said in a statement.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Pakistan went on to make a series sweep over Sri Lanka with Babar playing a lead role with the bat, scoring 165 runs — most in the series — which included a 20th ODI ton.
(With agency inputs)
