Pakistan were slapped with a fielding penalty for failing to complete their overs in time during the Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday (February 19).
The hosts – and defending champions – won the toss and chose to field first in the first match of the tournament, in Karachi as Haris Rauf returned to their lineup.
They made a solid start with the ball, as spinner Abrar Ahmed broke through Devon Conway's defence, and Naseem Shah got the big wicket of Kane Williamson for just one, the New Zealand batter's first single-digit ODI score in six years. At the end of the first Powerplay, the Black Caps were 48-2.
Match 1, Pakistan vs New Zealand
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Through the middle overs, Abrar, Khushdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha were able to extract some turn from the wicket, and Pakistan were firmly on top when Haris Rauf got rid of Daryl Mitchell for 10, in the 17th over.
However, Pakistan were constantly in trouble with regard to the over rate, falling behind initially thanks to using their pacers significantly alongside spin in the middle overs, before Rauf had multiple false starts, pulling out of his run-up repeatedly.
Read more: Pakistan batter walks off injured two balls into Champions Trophy
Khushdil and Abrar bowled in tandem from overs 41-44, in an attempt for Pakistan to quickly get through a few overs and make up the rate. But the pair did concede more than a few boundaries, which resulted in more time being lost.
By the 48th over of the innings, they were still behind the rate, and as a result could only place a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard circle, instead of the five usually allowed in the last 10 overs of an ODI innings.
Pakistan take over four hours to bowl first innings of 2025 Champions Trophy
The innings eventually came to an end at 6:11pm local time, having started at 2:00pm – a duration of over four hours. The Champions Trophy playing conditions state that the minimum over rate to be achieved is 14.28 overs per hour, which roughly works out to one ODI innings being completed in three-and-a-half hours.
In addition to the on-field penalty, the members of Pakistan's playing XI are likely to receive fines for being behind the rate. The ICC's Code of Conduct states that every member of the fielding side can be deducted five per cent of their match fee per over they are short of the minimum rate (capped at 50 per cent of match fee).
The number of overs that Pakistan were behind the rate is yet to be publicly confirmed. New Zealand eventually scored 320-5, courtesy of Will Young (107), Tom Latham (118*) and Glenn Phillips (61* off 39 balls).
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