Pakistan tri-series – Pak vs SA – Shaheen Afridi fined and handed demerit point for on-field clash with Matthew Breetzke

Afridi was fined 25% of his match fee for breaching Article 2.12 of the code of conduct, which pertains to “inappropriate physical contact” with a player or someone else during a match.

That was off the last ball of the over. Just the ball before, Breetzke, after defending the ball, made a gesture with his bat, which Afridi reacted to by walking down the pitch and saying something. Breetzke didn’t back down, and the umpires were quickly at the scene.

Off the last ball, Breetzke took off for a run after playing the ball away to the leg side and Afridi moved towards the batter. Breetzke bumped into him before completing his run.

That was a breach of Article 2.5 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter”.

None of the three had any prior demerit points.

Pakistan won the match, chasing down South Africa’s 352 for 5 with one over left – it was their first successful chase of 350-plus runs in ODIs, and got them into the final of tri-series, where they will take on New Zealand on Friday before the action shifts to the Champions Trophy.