Pakistan were deducted 11 points in the World Test Championship and their players docked 50 percent of the match fees due to a slow over rate during last week’s Test match against England in Birmingham, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said.

The visitors were 11 overs short of their target as England won the match by eight wickets to sweep the series, the ICC said in a statement on Monday.

The sanction was imposed by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees after on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Allahudien Palekar and fourth umpire Russell Warren levelled the charge.

The deduction leaves Pakistan rooted to the bottom of the standings with five points in nine matches.

Australia, who have won eight of their 10 Tests in the current cycle, lead the table with defending champions South Africa second.

The top two teams meet in the final at the Oval in London in June 2027.

Pakistan’s next Tests are against Sri Lanka in a two-match home series in November.

It was England’s first Test series win since 2024, while Pakistan have now lost 16 of their last 21 games.

Root’s men had appeared set for a quickfire win in three days on Friday before debutant fast bowler Razaullah launched an audacious assault with the bat, clubbing nine sixes as he raced to 81 off 63 balls.

The 21-year-old number nine, who also took four wickets in England’s first innings, put on 121 for the ninth wicket with fellow paceman Abbas (42) as England floundered.

Razaullah’s heroics changed the mood music, but they came too little, too late for Pakistan, who endured a miserable series, losing the first Test by an innings and 103runs and the second by 194 runs.

The tourists sent seven players home after their crushing defeat in the second Test at Lord’s and brought in seven replacements, with Razaullah among them.

They also sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul as their tour descended into chaos.

Pakistan made four changes to their side for the third Test, and they put up a fight despite being dismissed for a paltry 133 in their first innings.

Captain Babar Azam admitted his team would have to take stock after a one-sided series.

“We had a couple of changes after losing two matches. Playing in England is very difficult. We were trying to do our best in the third match,” he said.

“We need to sit down and look hard at our mistakes, decide our playing XI.”

[Aljazeera]

In flashing bright neon the warning signs are there, clear for all to see. And if you’re of Sri Lankan persuasion, the overhead announcement is likely already underway to assume the brace position ahead of the upcoming spate of white-ball fixtures against England. This one won’t be easy, folks.

Sri Lanka’s last white-ball tour of England came in 2021, and if the two thumping defeats in their warm-up fixtures to England Lions are anything to go by it seems they would do well to steer clear of a similar whitewash. Another fairly obvious omen is Sri Lanka’s recent T20I record, which has seen 10 losses across their 15 completed matches this year.

Against England, meanwhile, they have lost each of their past 12 T20Is with their last victory coming at The Oval back in May 2014 – one of three victories away to England in seven attempts.

Then we get to England’s current form, which has seen them as recently as this past July drub the reigning world champions, India, 4-0. So yeah, it’s hard not to fear the worst for the visitors.

The weather, expected to be wet, could be a buffer of sorts, while the pitches towards the end of the English summer are potentially now drier and – Sri Lanka hope – might aid spin. Indeed, the Lankans have stacked their squad with four spin-bowling options, and will be banking heavily on the likes of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga – both of whom sat out the warm up games – to stymie an English batting unit that seems to be permanently stuck in top gear.

But this a Lankan unit with the capacity to land hefty blows. Even in the absence of talismanic skipper Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka have genuine firepower at the top of the order in Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara, while the return of Charith Asalanka – catapulted from outcast to skipper in the span of a few months – offers grit and power in the middle.

The question however will be if they’re able to perform at the level needed consistently enough to challenge a finely-tuned English white-ball machine.

While the focus might usually be on how Sri Lanka handle pace and bounce ahead of an England tour, at the tail end of particularly hot summer, it’s Adil Rashid’s legbreaks that might have the visitors sweating. While the traditional view of subcontinental teams is that they are competent players of spin, when it comes to Rashid and Sri Lanka that narrative has been flipped on its head.

Rashid enters this series in exceptional T20I form. In 2026, he has claimed 24 wickets while maintaining an overall economy rate of 7.98. Across 16 games in this period he’s gone wicketless just twice. But these numbers improve significantly when he faces Sri Lanka, against whom he has taken 17 wickets at an average of just 13.76 and strike rate of 15. More impressively, he has completely suffocated their scoring options, operating at an outstanding economy rate of 5.48 – by a distance his best against any side he has faced more than once.

In February Dushmantha Chameera recorded his career-best T20I figures of 5 for 24 against England in Pallekelle. He carried that momentum into the T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament with 10 wickets across six matches as Sri Lanka’s most reliable fast-bowling option. His 20wickets in 2026 have come at a strike rate of just 12.

However, Chameera’s immediate form heading into the opening T20I is worrying. Returning from a groin strain, he has looked understandably rusty during the recent warm-up games. In Chelmsford, he was taken apart for 34 runs in just 1.2 overs, followed by another tough outing at Beckenham where he conceded 23 runs in 1.2 overs without taking a wicket. If Chameera can shake off his recent match rust and find rhythm early on, his extra bounce and pace can genuinely trouble England’s top order. But if he struggles with his radar, a flat Southampton surface could prove punishing.

England have rung in the the changes, some enforced others by way of rotation. Phil Salt (quadriceps), Jacob Bethell (knee) and Sam Curran (groin) all miss out through injury, which sees Sonny Baker, Jamie Overton and debutant Aneurin Donald make their way in. There’s also a first T20I since October 2025 for Jordan Cox. Jofra Archer meanwhile gets a rest off the back of the Test series with Pakistan; he is expected to come in for Josh Tongue for the second T20I.

England:  Aneurin Donald,  Jos Buttler (capt & wk),  Harry Brook,  Tom Banton, Jordan Cox,  Will Jacks,  Jamie Overton,  Liam Dawson,  Josh Tongue,  Sonny Baker,  Adil Rashid

Sri Lanka are expected to go with five frontline bowling options, which indicates towards the inclusion of the ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Ratnayake, who impressed in the warm-up games with the bat.

Sri Lanka: (probable)  Pathum Nissanka,  Kamil Mishara (wk),  Kamindu Mendis,  Charith Asalanka (capt),  Janith Liyanage,  Dasun Shanaka  Tharindu Ratnayake  Wanindu Hasaranga  Maheesh Theekshana  Dushmantha Chameera  Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]

The “Mehewara Pasasum” programme to recognise Divisional Secretariats in the Eastern Province that demonstrated the highest level of performance in 2025 was held recently at the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies of the Eastern University, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya. The programme was held as part of the initiative to decentralise President’s Fund services to the Divisional Secretariat level, with the aim of providing the public with a more efficient and prompt service.

Of the Divisional Secretariats in the three districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee, nine Divisional Secretariats, three from each district, were selected for recognition based on their efficiency in receiving President’s Fund applications and responding to them promptly.

Accordingly, the Sammanthurai Divisional Secretariat secured first place in the Ampara District, while the Addalachchenai Divisional Secretariat secured second place and the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat third place.

In the Batticaloa District, first place was secured by the Kattankudy Divisional Secretariat, second place by the Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat and third place by the Koralaipattu Central Divisional Secretariat.

In the Trincomalee District, first place was secured by the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Divisional Secretariat, second place by the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat and third place by the Muttur Divisional Secretariat.

The first “Mehewara Pasasum” programme was held in Colombo, the second in Batticaloa, and this was the third programme.

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary to the President’s Fund Roshan Gamage, and a number of government officials and others were present at the occasion.

(PMD)