Pakistan have been penalised ten runs for running in the danger zone of the pitch during their Group B match against India in Providence, Guyana. The penalty runs were awarded - five each after two separate incidents - after the umpires had already issued three warnings to the batsmen during the Pakistan innings.*
Pakistan captain Javeria Khan admitted after the game that it was poor form on her team's part, and an issue that has troubled them previously too. "I had a chat [with the umpires]. They told me that after warning the players three times, they gave the penalties," Javeria said. "It's unprofessional on our part because we were warned. It's not happened [for] the first time. It's happened in Sri Lanka as well."
After a shaky start, during which Pakistan lost three early wickets, Bismah Mahroof and Nida Dar mounted a recovery but were warned by the umpires at the end of the 13th over for running on the danger area of the pitch. On the first ball of the 18th over, the same two batsmen scurried through for a single but, after consultation between umpires Sue Redfern and Gregory Brathwaite, Pakistan were penalised five runs and the single was disallowed. However, in what appears to be an umpiring error, the batsmen were not called back to their respective original ends and Dar faced the following delivery.
On the dramatic final ball of the innings, with Sana Mir at the non-striker's end, Sidra Nawaz edged a Poonam Yadav delivery and the pair scampered for one run. Radha Yadav fired the ball in from point to wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia, who whipped the bails off. The decision was sent to the third umpire but the replays showed Mir was well within the crease.
But the greater drama was taking place on the field, as Redfern signalled a second five-run penalty against Pakistan for running in the danger area of the pitch. There was confusion as the umpires and players started walking off as to whether the last run had been counted in the total. That's when Javeria walked over to get clarification from the officials.
Eventually, it was confirmed that the final run would not be added to the total and Pakistan's score stood at 133 for 7, their highest ever innings in a T20 International. India started their innings on 10-0 before a ball was bowled.
After the game, which India eventually won by seven wickets with an over to spare, Mithali Raj - who top scored with 56 - said India too got a warning for running on the pitch and were wary not to repeat the offence after that. Raj said: "We were told before getting in to bat that those 10 runs were because the Pakistan batters were running on the danger end and they were warned. So were we, but we didn't get to that point [where the umpires had to dock runs]. We were aware of it."
Under the ICC playing conditions, rule 41.14.3 states that when avoidable damage to the pitch has been caused by the batting side after the issue of a warning, the bowler's end umpire will "disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to her original end, signal no-ball or wide to the scorers if applicable, and award five penalty runs to the fielding side."
The Pakistan batsmen involved also face the possibility of further penalties from the match referee.
*19.15GMT, November 11: This story was updated as more details were confirmed