Afridi banned for four matches

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi will miss the opening matches of the World Cup after he was given a four match ban for breaching the ICC code of conduct.

Afridi was charged with the Level 3 breach after he was seen pushing his bat at a spectator who appeared to have shouted abuse in his direction.

Match referee Chris Broad handed down the minimum sentence of four one-day games.

“I took into account what I considered to be the mitigating circumstances of a spectator in close proximity to the player shouting at him as he returned to the dressing room,” Broad said in a statement.

“However, I found it impossible to escape the conclusion that Afridi’s actions were a clear threat to that spectator, and had that person not taken evasive action then the bat would almost certainly have hit him.”

“Such an act is completely unacceptable and on that basis I found the player guilty of the level three offence.”

Broad was also critical of the player security when walking back to the pavilion, a matter he has brought to the attention of Cricket South Africa.

“For the record, I do not believe spectators should be that close to the players or that they should feel they can shout whatever they like and think that is acceptable. That is a view I have expressed to Cricket South Africa,” he said.

Afridi has 24 hours to appeal the ban. Should he choose not to appeal, he will miss the remaining two one-day matches against Sri Lanka and the first two matches of the World Cup.