Afridi faces lengthy ban

Shahid Afridi has been charged with breaching the ICC code of conduct after pushing his bat at a spectator, during his sides first ODI against South Africa in Centurion.

The incident occurred as Afridi was walking back to the changing rooms after being dismissed for 17, when a spectator appears to have said something to him. The batsman then responded by brandishing his bat in the spectators direction, causing him to take cover.

He was later charged with a Level 3 offence which prohibits any “conduct unbecoming…which could bring or the game of cricket into disrepute.”

Afridi, who is able to play until the hearing takes place, faces a ban of between two to four Test matches or four to eight one-day matches, which would threaten the start to his World Cup campaign.

Any ban would come as a severe blow to Pakistan, with Afridi in scintillating form – smashing a brilliant 77 runs from 35 balls in Pakistan’s 141 run win over South Africa in the second ODI at Durban.