Dhoni gets one-match ban for slow over rate

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been banned for one ODI after his side was fined for a second minor over-rate offence within a year during the cricket tri-series match against Australia in Brisbane on Sunday.

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The Indian side was ruled to be two overs short of their target at the end of the match against Australia on Sunday when time allowances were taken into consideration.

Andy Pycroft of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed a 40 percent fine on Dhoni while each of his players received 20 percent fines.

Dhoni has been suspended from India's tri-series game on Tuesday against Sri Lanka in Brisbane as this was India's second minor over-rate offence after they were fined for a slow over-rate in the 2011 Cricket World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on April 2.

The charge was laid by on-field umpires Steve Davis and Billy Bowden, both from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, as well as third umpire Bruce Oxenford and fourth umpire Paul Reiffel.

Dhoni pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted both by Dhoni and India. As such there was no need for a formal hearing.

The Indian captain also acknowledged that he had been kept informed of the position regarding over-rates on a regular basis throughout the match and therefore accepted the decision.

This is Dhoni's second suspension in the ongoing Australian tour as he was banned for one match in the Test series after India's slow over rate during the third match in Perth.

Virender Sehwag had to stand-in as captain in place of Dhoni in the fourth Test against Australia in Adelaide.Sunday's offence is contrary to Article 2.5.1 of the Code which relates to over-rate offences and reads: "where the actual over rate in any Test Match or any other International Match of at least four days in duration is up to (and including) five overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, or, in any One-day International Match, Twenty20 International Match or any other International Match of fifty (50) or twenty (20)overs per side up to (and including) two overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, such an offence shall be considered a 'Minor Over Rate Offence'."

At its meeting in June 2011 in Hong Kong, the ICC Executive Board had discussed the issue of slow over-rates and accepted the recommendation of the ICC Cricket Committee that a captain of an international side should be suspended for one match if his side is guilty of two minor over-rate offences in the same format over a 12-month period.