Skipper fined but not suspended for slow over-rate following victory over Sri Lanka that propels them into final four
Pakistan's Sarfraz avoids one-match ban
Pakistan have been fined for a slow over-rate following their dramatic Group B win over Sri Lanka in Cardiff.
The fine – imposed for being one over short of completing their bowling innings within the scheduled period – means captain Sarfraz Ahmed is docked 20 per cent of his match fee, with the rest of the team docked 10 per cent.
Quick Single: Pakistan through to semis in thriller
Crucially however, it means Sarfraz is available for Wednesday's semi-final clash with England, also in Cardiff.
The wicketkeeper-batsman made a match-winning 61 not out in his side's nail-biting three-wicket win on Monday, teaming up with Mohammad Amir for an unbroken 75-run stand that got Pakistan home with 31 balls to spare.
Sarfraz will be on notice for the semi-final; if Pakistan exceed their allotted time period in that match and win, he could be suspended for the tournament decider.
Pakistan's over-rate wasn't helped by their decision to go in with a pace-heavy attack, as young leggie Shadab Khan was dropped and seamer Fahim Ashraf was selected in his stead.
The Pakistani pace attack got through 36.2 of the 49.2 overs, taking all 10 wickets between them for just the fifth time in the country's ODI history.
Hasan Ali (3-42), Junaid Khan (3-40), Amir (2-53) and Fahim (2-37) were all multiple wicket-takers as they bowled Sri Lanka out for 236 in a performance that will have put England's much-vaunted batting line-up on notice.
Champions Trophy 2017 Guide
Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation
Schedule
1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets
2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result
3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs
4 June – India beat Pakistan by 124 runs
5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, No Result
6 June – England beat New Zealand by 87 runs
7 June – Pakistan beat South Africa by 19 runs (DLS method)
8 June – Sri Lanka beat India by seven wickets
9 June – Bangladesh beat New Zealand by five wickets
10 June – England beat Australia by 40 runs (DLS method)
11 June – India beat South Africa by eight wickets
12 June – Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets
14 June – First semi-final (England v Pakistan), Cardiff (D)
15 June – Second semi-final (Bangladesh v India), Edgbaston (D)
18 June – Final, The Oval (D)
19 June – Reserve day (D)