Pakistan penalized five WTC points for slow over rate in Cape Town Test

Pakistan has been penalized with a deduction of five World Test Championship (WTC) points and a 25% fine of their match fee for failing to maintain the required over rate during their recent match against South Africa in Cape Town. The team was found to be five overs behind the stipulated target, even after factoring in time allowances.

Match referee Richie Richardson imposed the sanction, which Pakistan captain Shan Masood accepted after pleading guilty to the charge - levelled by on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon, third umpire Alex Wharf and fourth umpire Stephen Harris - which meant that was no need for a formal hearing.

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Teams are deducted one point for every over by which they fall short of their target. This is Pakistan's third points deduction in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. They were docked two points after the first Test against Australia in Perth in December 2023, and six points following the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi in August 2024.

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As a consequence, Pakistan now have 35 points - instead of a possible 48 - from 12 Tests in the 2023-25 cycle. The latest deduction has brought their percentage of points contested - the number that determines a team's position on the WTC table - down from 27.78 to 24.31. They remain in eighth place as before, but their points percentage is now only a few decimal points better than West Indies, who occupy the bottom of the nine-team table with a percentage of 24.24 - with no over-rate deductions.

The deduction adds a layer of intrigue to one of the two remaining series in the 2023-25 WTC cycle - Pakistan are due to host West Indies for two Tests, in Karachi and Multan, starting January 16.