ICC bans Pak skipper Misbah from Lanka Test

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was suspended from the first Test against Sri Lanka because of a "serious over-rate offence" during the fifth and final ODIwhich the hosts won, the ICC said on Tuesday. The Pakistan side was ruled to be three overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration, the International Cricket Council said in a statement. It was Pakistan's "first serious over-rate offence in the past 12 months," match referee Chris Broad said as he handed Misbah two suspension points, while each of his players received a 40-percent fine from their match fees. "Misbah will now miss Pakistan's first Test against Sri Lanka which starts in Galle from Friday," the ICC statement said. It said the charge against Pakistan was laid by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and the home country umpire Ranmore Martinesz as well as third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge and fourth umpire Nilan de Silva. "Misbah pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted without the need for a formal hearing," the statement added. Sri Lanka posted a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international in Colombo on Monday to clinch the series 3-1.