DUBAI: Pakistan paceman Hasan Ali and Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan and leg-spinner Rashid Khan have all been fined on Saturday for violating the players’ code of conduct, the International Cricket Council said on Saturday.

“Hasan, and Afghanistan’s duo of Asghar and Rashid have all been fined 15 per cent of their match fees. They have also received one demerit point in separate incidents during the match on Friday,” the ICC said. “After the match, all the three players pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the elite panel of ICC match referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.”

The ICC said: “Rashid was charged and fined for giving a sendoff to Asif Ali in the 47th over of Pakistan’s innings by holding up a finger and staring at the batsman, an action that could have provoked an aggressive reaction from the departing batsman.

“Hasan and Asghar were found guilty of ‘conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game and using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.’

“While Hasan and Rashid have received demerit points for the first time, it is the second occasion that Asghar has been handed a demerit point within a 24-month period.

“The incident involving Hasan happened in the 33rd over of Afghanistan’s innings when he threatened to throw the ball towards striker Hashmatullah Shahidi after fielding off his own bowling.

“As regards the incident involving Asghar, the Afghanistan captain brushed his shoulder with the bowler Hasan in the 37th over as he passed him while taking a run.”

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018