Afghanistan suffered a big blow on Wednesday (March 7) when Mohammad Shahzad, the wicketkeeper-batsman, was suspended for the next two games of the World Cup Qualifiers following his misdemeanour in the match game against Zimbabwe.
The breaking of ICC’s Code of Conduct-Article 2.1.8 – which deals with “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match” – has also forced the governing body to impose a fine on Shahzad, and he will lose 15 percent of his match fee.
The 30-year-old has four demerit points within 24 months with his latest offence, which prompted ICC to take this step. He will now miss Afghanistan’s next two matches against Hong Kong and Nepal, which will be played in Bulawayo on March 8 and 10 respectively.
During a thrilling match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo that Afghanistan lost by just two runs, Shahzad struck his bat hard on the pitch after being caught by Malcolm Waller off Tendai Chatara for 30 in the ninth over.
Shahzad admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by David Jukes, the match referee, and there was no need for a formal hearing.
In December 2016, Shahzad was fined 100 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points in a T20I against the United Arab Emirates after he was found guilty of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player.” The addition of this one demerit point took him to the threshold of four demerit points, which have now been converted into two suspension points. If he reaches the next threshold of eight or more demerit points within a 24-month period, it will be converted into four suspension points.
Meanwhile, Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman, and Mujeeb Zadran, the 16-year-old Afghanistan spinner, were sanctioned for separate incidents during the match. While Taylor, who showed dissent after Chettithody Shamsuddin, the umpire, turned down a leg before appeal, was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point, Zadran was fined 50 percent of his match fee and got three demerit points for throwing the ball back at the batsman “in a dangerous manner”.
In another match, Nizakat Khan of Hong Kong was fined 50 percent of his match fee and received three demerit points for making an inappropriate and deliberate physical contact against Alasdair Evans, the Scotland pacer.
