Afghanistan’s Wicket Keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been suspended for two match in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Shahzad will now miss the upcoming two matches against Hong Kong and Nepal.
Having already accumulated three demerit points in the December, 2016 while playing against UAE, he accumulated one demerit point against Zimbabwe in their second match of ICC World Cup Qualifiers. The four demerit points within a period of twenty four months mean he receives a two match ban according to article 7.6 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
According to the media release on ICC Website, Shahzad was found guilty of breaching Article 2.1.8, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”. In the thrilling match against Zimbabwe, he was found hitting his bat hard on the pitch nearby to the match pitch, which left a significant crack on the turf.
Similarly, Zimbabwe’s skipper Brendan Taylor and Afghanistan’s spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman have also been sanctioned for different incidents during the same match.
Taylor received one demerit point and was also fined for disagreeing the umpires’ decision in the match, leading him to a fifteen percent match fee fine in accordance to Article 2.1.5.
Likewise, Mujeeb was fined 50 percent of his match fee and received three demerit points after he was found throwing the ball back at the batsman who had not left the crease of his own bowling. The charges were laid by on-field umpires Chris Brown and Chettithody Shamsuddin and third umpire Paul Wilson.
In the other match, Hong Kong’s player Nizakat Khan was also charged fifty percent of match fee. He was found making a deliberate contact by using his shoulder against Scotland Bowler Alasdair Evans.
