2 Pakistan pacers handed demerit points for aggressive celebrations against West Indies

Pakistan's tour of West Indies has not got off to the kind of start they had anticipated, as pacers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad have been handed a demerit point each for breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, following their 90-run loss in the 1st Test at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

Shahzad has also been penalised 15% of his match fee, whereas his senior bowling partner received an official reprimand from match referee Jeff Crowe. 

"Article 2.5 includes any language, action or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean the dismissed batter, regardless of whether the batter him/herself feels disparaged or demeaned (in other words, a ‘send-off’). Without limitation, Article 2.5 includes: (a) excessive celebration directed at and in close proximity to the dismissed batter; (b) verbally abusing the dismissed batter; and (c) pointing or gesturing towards the pavilion.

"Nothing in this Article 2.5 is, however, intended to stop Players celebrating, in an appropriate fashion, the dismissal of the opposing team’s batter."

Both seamers accepted the proposed sanctions. Therefore, there wasn't any need for an official hearing. Notably, this was their first offence of any such manner in the last 24 months. For the unversed, when a player accumulates four or more demerit points within two years, they get converted into suspension points, and the player becomes liable to be banned.

Pakistan likely to take the field without Shan Masood in 2nd Test

Pakistan are likely to take the field without former captain Shan Masood in the second Test, which gets underway on August 2 at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. Masood has fractured his finger and is unlikely to recover in time. He scored a century (109) in the first innings, which largely kept Pakistan in the game, but was forced to bat at No. 8 due to his inability to grip the willow.

Skipper Babar Azam confirmed the injury after Pakistan failed to chase down 211 in the fourth innings.

"Yes, Shan Masood’s injury affected us because, unfortunately, his finger is fractured, so we definitely missed him," Babar said after the game.

"At the same time, when you’re facing the new ball, you have to survive the first 20 overs, build partnerships, and then, as the ball gets older, the pitch becomes easier to bat on. We couldn’t put together those partnerships."