Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has been fined 10 per cent of her match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during a Group A match of the Women’s Asia Cup against India in Dubai on Saturday.
Fatima was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage, or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Fatima, for whom it was the second offence in a 24-month period, taking her tally of demerit points in a 24-month period to two.
Fatima received her earlier demerit point during the first match of a T20I series against Ireland in Dublin on 6 August 2025.
Notably, the ICC states that the demerit points remain on a player’s disciplinary record for a period of twenty-four months from their imposition. Under this regulation, if Fatima reaches four or more points within the twenty-four-month period, they will be converted into suspension points. This poses a risk of her getting banned from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first. Two suspension points equate a ban.
The latest incident occurred in the second over of India’s innings, when Fatima, after dismissing opener Shafali Verma, gestured in the direction of the pavilion.
Fatima admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Supriya Rani Das of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Nimali Perera and Shathira Jakir Jesy, third umpire Rokeya Sultana and fourth umpire Rabab Ahsan levelled the charge.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
