CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been suspended for one Test and fined 20 percent of his match fee after his side were charged with a slow over rate in the nine-wicket second Test victory over Pakistan at Newlands.

Du Plessis will sit out the final match of the series starting in Johannesburg on Friday after match referee David Boon imposed the suspension having found South Africa to be one over short of their required number in the Test.

It is the second time in 12 months that du Plessis and his side have been found guilty of a slow over rate after a Test against India in Johannesburg that ended on Jan 17. The rest of the side have also been fined 10 percent of their match fee.

“In accordance with Article 2.22.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel... players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount,” the International Cricket Council said in a statement on Sunday.

South Africa picked an all-pace attack for the match. Their four bowlers shared just under 122 overs as they twice bowled Pakistan out. Half an hour was added to play the first three days because of the slow over rate.

After the three umpires charged the home team, match referee David Boon, the former Australia batsman, ruled South Africa were one over short of the minimum target and imposed the punishments.

South Africa have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three matches series, but could field a much-changed batting line-up in the third Test with the absence of du Plessis, and injury concerns over opener Aiden Markram and number three Hashim Amla, who both captaincy experience.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2019