New Delhi (India): Australia’s women’s cricket team has been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the second ODI against India, held at New Chandigarh on Tuesday, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Over-rate offence and sanction
The sanction was imposed by G.S. Lakshmi, a member of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, after it was determined that Australia were two overs short of the required target when time allowances were factored in. On-field umpires Vrinda Rathi and Janani Narayanan, third umpire Lauren Agenbag, and fourth umpire Gayathri Venugopalan had raised the charge.
Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, teams are penalised for minimum over-rate offences, with players fined 5 per cent of their match fee for each over not bowled in the allotted time. In this case, Australian skipper Alyssa Healy pleaded guilty to the offence, accepting the proposed sanction, which negated the need for a formal hearing.
Match outcome and series status
The second ODI concluded with India defeating Australia by 102 runs, marking Australia’s largest loss by margin of runs in Women’s ODI history. With the series now tied 1-1, both teams are set to contest the decider in Delhi on September 20.
The fine and defeat underscore the importance of maintaining over-rates in international cricket, as penalties can impact player earnings and team morale ahead of crucial series-deciding matches.