The International Cricket Council on Sunday suspended Sourav Ganguly for two Test matches for slow over rate against Pakistan in the Platinum Jubilee one-day international at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

This puts him out of action for the two-Test series against South Africa starting on November 20.

ICC match referee Clive Lloyd, who held a hearing of the match officials, found the captain guilty.

The ICC also fined India's Irfan Pathan (50 per cent of the match fee) and Pakistan's Yousuf Youhana (75 per cent), finding them guilty of breaching the code of conduct for entering into an altercation during the match.

According to an ICC release, Ganguly breached clause C1 of the code of conduct for players and/or team officials.

Since this was Ganguly's second similar offence within a span of 12 months -- the previous being during the tour of Australia earlier this year -- the seriousness of the offence had become more resulting in his suspension with immediate effect, the release said.

The first Test will be from Kanpur while the second starts at Kolkata from November 28.

Ganguly had also missed the last two Tests in the recent four- Test series against Australia due to injury.

"The ICC code relating to over rates needs to be strictly observed and it is important for all the stakeholders in the game, to have matches finished on time," Lloyd said.

"The allotted three and half hours is ample time to bowl the required 50 overs. So captains need to ensure that all efforts are made to achieve this."