ICC brutally punishes Pakistan star for 'inappropriate physical contact' with young Kiwi

On Monday, March 17, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that a star Pakistan National Cricket Team player has been penalized for breaching the Level 2 ICC Code of Conduct.

The cricketer is Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah, who has been fined 50% of his match fees for his wrong actions during the first T20I of the series against New Zealand in Christchurch.

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ICC takes action against Khushdil Shah for collision with Zakary Foulkes

During the first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand, Khushdil Shah had inappropriate physical contact with the young Kiwi cricketer Zakary Foulkes, for which he had to pay the price.

The incident happened during the 8th over of Pakistan’s innings when Khushdil barged into the back of bowler Zakary Foulkes with his left shoulder. After the batters had completed a double, the umpires were seen having a word with Khushdil, warning him about his actions.

"Khushdil was found in violation of Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match)," the ICC said in a statement.

Khushdil Shah's act classified as ‘inappropriate physical contact with a high degree of force’

The ICC further stated that the act of the Pakistan star was classified as ‘inappropriate physical contact with a high degree of force’ and was deemed ‘reckless, negligent and avoidable.’

Khushdil Shah, meanwhile, accepted the sanctions leveled against him, and along with a 50% fine, three demerit points were added to his disciplinary record.

Notably, suppose a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period. In that case, he receives suspension points and two suspension points result in a ban from either one Test, two ODIs, or two T20Is, whichever comes first.

"Khushdil accepted the sanctions leveled by the umpires and Match Referee Jeff Crowe, as a result of which there was no need for a formal hearing. Along with the fine, three demerit points have been added to Khushdil’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period," the ICC further stated.

Talking about the first T20I between the Men In Green and the Black Caps, the hosts absolutely hammered the visitors to register a dominant 9-wicket win.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Second T20I underway in Dunedin

The second match of the T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand is currently underway at the University Oval in Dunedin on Tuesday, March 18. It has been converted into a 15-over-a-side contest due to the rain interruptions in the match.

Ahead of the match, the star all-rounder Shadab Khan talked about the conditions in the city and said that the climate is a little cold for them and the ground dimensions are small.

He further lauded his teammates for the intent shown in the first T20I and was hopeful of an overall better performance in the second game. He said:

"Our summer starts in Pakistan so it will be cold for us. It is same like Karachi, with the wind. I see the boundary dimensions are small, so I have to see where to bowl. We have a very young team, they wanted to prove their selection and they wanted to show their talent to the world. The intent we showed in the first game is a positive. We have to assess the conditions here and hopefully we assess it better than the last game."