Sarfaraz Ahmed fined 30% of match fee for breaching PCB's Code of Conduct during National T20 Cup 

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has been fined 30 percent of his match fee for a level 1 breach of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The former Pakistani skipper was found guilty of violating Article 2.3, which pertains to “use of audible obscenity”.

The incident happened when he was dismissed during the Sindh versus Balochistan National T20 Cup clash at the Pindi Club Ground on Friday, September 2. Sarfaraz was dismissed for 29 off 23 deliveries on the first ball of the 17th over.

There was no need for a formal hearing as he pleaded guilty and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Nadeem Arshad. On-field umpires Mohammad Asif and Imtiaz Iqbal, third umpire Rashid Riaz and fourth umpire Nasir Hussain imposed action on Sarfaraz for his behavior after getting dismissed.

Sarfaraz's contribution helped Sindh post 142-7 on the board following a wobbly start. However, his efforts went in vain as Balochishtan chased down the target with seven balls to spare, courtesy of Shan Masood's unbeaten fifty (53* off 39) and a valuable cameo from Amad Butt (25* off 12). Sarfaraz claimed the catch of Hussain Talat in the 16th over, when the match was still in the balance.

Sarfaraz Ahmed's last International appearance came in 2021

The Karachi-born player has been overlooked by Pakistan's think tank since being sacked as captain following a poor tour of Australia in October 2019. With Babar Azam now leading the side across all formats and Muhammad Rizwan donning the wicketkeeping gloves, Sarfaraz has fallen down the pecking order.

His last international appearance came during the T20I series against Bangladesh after the T20 World Cup last year.

He could not find a place in the Pakistan squad for the ongoing 2022 Asia Cup, with Rizwan being the sole wicketkeeper in the squad.

Sarfaraz was recently embroiled in controversy after he responded to a journalist's opinion surrounding the recent encounter between India and Pakistan at the 2022 Asia Cup.

Will the former Pakistan captain make another appearance for the national team again? Let us know what you think.