Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 3 wickets in the final of the Tri-Nation Series to win the title. However, a mistake made in that match led to the ICC taking strict action against the team. Shaheen Afridi admitted the mistake.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

The final of the Tri-Nation Series was played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, where Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets to win the title. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 325 runs in 50 overs. Pakistan achieved the target with nine balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman played a match-winning innings of 127 runs. Arafat Minhas played a crucial innings of 61 runs in the final and was also named Player of the Series.

Chasing the target, Pakistan got off to a poor start. Maz Sadaqat was dismissed for 5 and Babar Azam for 10. Dilshan Madushanka dismissed both Maz and Azam. After being reduced to 14 for 2, Fakhar Zaman and Saad Baig put on a 149-run partnership.

Fakhar Zaman scored 127 runs off 99 balls, hitting 6 sixes and 11 fours in this brilliant innings. Saad Baig scored 70 runs off 75 balls. Finally, Hasan Nawaz (37) and Arafat Minhas (61) played crucial innings. Minhas's 61 runs off 31 balls included 4 sixes and 3 fours, making this a brisk innings that made the target look easy for Pakistan.

ICC action against Pakistan

Pakistan faced ICC action after winning the final. Pakistan was fined five percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate. Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees determined the hosts were one over behind, taking into account time allowances.

This breach falls under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate breaches.

Under this, if a team fails to bowl its full overs in the allotted time, players are fined 5 percent of their match fees. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi pleaded guilty to a slow over-rate violation and accepted the proposed sanction.