India and West Indies have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20 International of the five-match series at Tarouba, Trinidad. While India were fined five per cent of their match fee for falling one over short of the minimum over-rate, West Indies have been docked 10 per cent of their match fee for falling two overs short of the minimum over-rate. Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Hardik Pandya and Rovman Powell’s sides were ruled to be one and two overs short respectively of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, subject to a cap of 50 per cent of the match fee. According to an ICC release, Pandya and Powell pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Patrick Gustard, third umpire Nigel Duguid and fourth umpire Leslie Reifer levelled the charges. India lost the first T20I by four runs. The second match of the series will be played at Providence, Guyana on Sunday.
