Cricket: Ganguly banned for six matches

AHMEDABAD - India cricket captain Saurav Ganguly has been banned for six one-dayers for his team's repeated slow over rate in the series against Pakistan.

The ban raises serious questions about Ganguly's international future, as he is already under pressure to retain his place because of poor batting form.

"This is the second match in succession that India have not bowled their overs within the required time-frame and no excuse was offered by the captain," ICC match referee Chris Broad said.

"I made Mr Ganguly aware of the potential penalties at the previous hearing and it is unfortunate that this warning was not heeded."

Ganguly's bowlers have repeatedly exceeded the allotted time for their overs.

He was fined for a slow over rate in the third one-dayer in Jamshedpur on Sunday, which Pakistan won by 106 runs.

The ICC said the penalty was upgraded to a level three breach because it was Ganguly's second offence within 12 months. A level three breach of the code carries a ban of two to four tests, or four to eight one-dayers.

As captain, he was also fined 30 per cent of his match fee yesterday. The other India players were fined 15 per cent.

The Indian Cricket Board seemed to have ruled out an appeal after joint secretary Goutam Das Gupta said Ganguly would miss the last two games, with Rahul Dravid taking over.

India and Pakistan are 2-2 in the six-match series after Pakistan's last-ball victory in Ahmedabad yesterday.

Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq pulled off the thrilling win with an unbeaten half-century.

Inzamam scored 60, hitting the winning runs after Shahid Afridi (40 off 23 balls), Salman Butt (48) and Shoaib Malik (65) had kept the visitors in the hunt despite India's mammoth 315 for six from the allotted 48 overs. Pakistan finished on 319 for seven, their highest run chase.

Last November, Ganguly was handed a two-test ban for his team's slow over rate during a one-day defeat against Pakistan in Calcutta, but successfully appealed to the ICC.

Ganguly averaged 9.6 in the drawn three-test series last month. He had scores of 0, 9, 4 and 18 in the first four one-day games.

- REUTERS