Johannesburg: Pakistan cricket captain Sarfraz Ahmed has been banned for four games for a racist on-field taunt aimed at South Africa allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, ruling him out of the remainder of the one-day series and the first two Twenty20 games.
The International Cricket Council confirmed the decision on Sunday and said Sarfraz was guilty of a breach of the sport's anti-racism code. The ICC said Safraz accepted the charge.
Shoaib Malik captained Pakistan for the fourth one-day international in Johannesburg in Sarfraz's place.
Sarfraz, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, was caught on a stumps microphone in the second ODI in Durban racially taunting the South African player in the Urdu language.
His comments came while Phehlukwayo was batting and after the South African had narrowly avoided being bowled.
Sarfraz denied the comments were directed at Phehlukwayo specifically despite him being the only black player on the field at the time. The Pakistan captain made a public apology and also apologized in person to Phehlukwayo but the incident was still investigated by the ICC.
