The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Pakistan cricketers Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, and Kamran Ghulam on Thursday for misconduct during their match against South Africa in Karachi.
Shaheen Afridi obstructed South African batter Matthew Breetzke while he attempted a single in Wednesday’s match. This led to physical contact and a heated exchange. As a result, Afridi received a 25 percent fine on his match fee for “inappropriate physical contact.”
Meanwhile, Shakeel and substitute fielder Ghulam faced a 10 percent deduction in their match fees. They celebrated too closely to batter Temba Bavuma, who was run out for 82 in South Africa’s total of 352-5. The ICC cited their actions as “using language, actions, or gestures that could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal during an International Match.”
Pakistan successfully chased the highest target in their one-day international history. They secured victory at 355-4 and set up a tri-series final against New Zealand in Karachi on Friday. These matches serve as a warm-up for the eight-team Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s most significant international tournament in nearly 30 years.
The ICC confirmed that Afridi, Shakeel, and Ghulam accepted their sanctions. Additionally, they received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records.
After the match, Shaheen admitted he deliberately attempted to disrupt Breetzke’s momentum.
“I wanted to disturb him because we needed wickets at that time,” Afridi told reporters. “When he took a single, he barged into me, so I barged into him.”
However, Breetzke downplayed the incident. He said their heated exchange wasn’t serious.
“I showed frustration over my shot, and Shaheen thought I directed it at him,” Breetzke explained. “He came at me, and naturally, I responded.”
“We are friends. It’s all good,” he added.
