ICC issues sanctions to Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad after Pakistan’s opening Test loss to West Indies

The International Cricket Council has sanctioned Pakistan seamers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad following the team’s opening Test defeat against the West Indies. Shahzad was fined and handed a demerit point for an aggressive celebration after a dismissal, while Abbas received an official reprimand and a demerit point for a similar on-field action.

Both incidents were dealt with under the ICC’s code of conduct, with the players accepting responsibility for their conduct and the matter being closed without the need for formal hearings. The disciplinary measures were recorded after Pakistan’s opening Test loss to the West Indies and form part of the match-related adjudications the ICC carries out when on-field behaviour breaches regulations. The outcomes confirm that neither player disputed the charges, allowing the process to be resolved administratively.

Khurram Shahzad’s sanction comprised a financial penalty alongside a demerit point, imposed for what the ICC described as his aggressive celebration after a dismissal. That combination of punishment — a fine plus a demerit — reflects the governing body’s response to conduct it judges to cross the line of acceptable on-field behaviour. Shahzad acknowledged his role in the episode, which removed the need for a formal hearing to determine culpability.

Mohammad Abbas was given an official reprimand and also received a demerit point for a comparable on-field action. The reprimand stands on his disciplinary record and the demerit point will be treated under the ICC’s established demerit and penalty framework. As with Shahzad, Abbas accepted the findings, allowing the sanction to be applied without further procedural steps.

The ICC’s handling of both cases followed its standard process for minor to mid-level code breaches, closing the matters swiftly once both players admitted responsibility. No hearings were convened, and the sanctions were finalized administratively. These measures were recorded in the aftermath of Pakistan’s first Test defeat against the West Indies.

The sanctions conclude the disciplinary element arising from that match and leave both players with demerit points on their records alongside Shahzad’s fine and Abbas’s reprimand. The ICC’s decisions close this particular chapter from the opening Test without further contestation.