Nepal levelled the series 1-1 with a three-wicket win (Source: Twitter/@CricketNep)
United Arab Emirates (UAE) were slapped with a five-run penalty on Wednesday as their batter Alishan Sharafu applied saliva on the ball while fielding.
For the unversed, the application of saliva on the ball has been prohibited since the advent of COVID-19 with the International Cricket Council (ICC) permanently restricting its usage under the latest playing conditions that became effective from October 1.
As Sharafu broke the rule, on-field umpires Vinay Kumar and Masudur Rahman awarded Nepal five extra runs which were added to their overall total.
"If the umpires spot someone applying saliva on the ball blatantly, there is no option but to award five penalty runs to the oppositions straight away," a former ICC panel umpire verified the new ruling to ESPNcricinfo.
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