Ben Stokes Criticizes ICC Over Slow Over Rate Penalties
England captain Stokes Slams ICC Over Slow Over Rates, Demands Dialogue
England captain Ben Stokes has publicly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its handling of slow over rates, calling for open interaction and a review of the current system.
Stokes’ frustration stems from England’s recent penalty for a slow over rate during their first Test victory against New Zealand. The team lost 15% of their match fees and three World Test Championship points, despite finishing the match with a day and a half of play remaining.
This isn’t the first time England has faced such a penalty. They were previously docked 19 points for the same reason during the 2023 Ashes series.
“Good on you ICC,” Stokes sarcastically posted on Instagram after the latest sanction, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Speaking to the press, Stokes revealed he had raised concerns about over rates with ICC match referee Andy pycroft 18 months ago, following the Lord’s Test against Australia. However, he claims to have received no response from the governing body.
In a symbolic act of protest, Stokes refused to sign the official over-rate sheet acknowledging the infringement.
“It’s been over a year now since I made some comments around the over-rates and still to this day we’re yet to hear any response back from anyone at the ICC around that,” he said.
“From a players’ point of view, I’m not the only one who shares this opinion that we woudl like to have a lot more communication with the ICC around this.I’ve not signed an over-rate sheet as Lord’s in the Ashes, just until we hear some communication back from the ICC that we’re still waiting for.”
Stokes emphasized the need for a dialogue between the ICC and team captains to address the issue effectively.
“It needs to be discussed I think, from the ICC to the captains of all the teams. It’s been over a year and we’ve had no communication whatsoever. When you’re having results in games and you know teams are losing out on points — getting fined and stuff like that — it’s not working at the moment,” he added.Stokes acknowledged that over rates can vary depending on factors like bowling type and field changes, but stressed the need for a fairer and more transparent system.
The second Test between England and New Zealand begins tomorrow at the Basin Reserve, with England fielding an unchanged team.
EnglandS Stokes Slams ICC Over Slow Over Rates, Demands Dialog
England captain Ben Stokes has publicly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its handling of slow over rates, calling for open interaction and a review of the current system.
Stokes’ frustration stems from England’s recent penalty for a slow over rate during their first test victory against New Zealand. The team lost 15% of their match fees and three World Test Championship points, despite finishing the match with a day and a half of play remaining.
This isn’t the first time England has faced such a penalty. They were previously docked 19 points for the same reason during the 2023 Ashes series.
“Good on you ICC,” Stokes sarcastically posted on Instagram after the latest sanction, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Speaking to the press, Stokes revealed he had raised concerns about over rates with ICC match referee Andy Pycroft 18 months ago, following the Lord’s Test against Australia. However, he claims to have received no response from the governing body.
In a symbolic act of protest, Stokes refused to sign the official over-rate sheet acknowledging the infringement.
“It’s been over a year now since I made some comments around the over-rates and still to this day we’re yet to hear any response back from anyone at the ICC around that,” he said.
“From a players’ point of view, I’m not the only one who shares this opinion that we would like to have a lot more interaction with the ICC around this. I’ve not signed an over-rate sheet as Lord’s in the Ashes, just until we hear some communication back from the ICC that we’re still waiting for.”
Stokes emphasized the need for a dialogue between the ICC and team captains to address the issue effectively.
“It needs to be discussed I think,from the ICC to the captains of all the teams. It’s been over a year and we’ve had no communication whatsoever. When you’re having results in games and you know teams are losing out on points — getting fined and stuff like that — it’s not working at the moment,” he added.
Stokes acknowledged that over rates can vary depending on factors like bowling type and field changes, but stressed the need for a fairer and more clear system.
The second Test between England and New Zealand begins tomorrow at the Basin Reserve, with England fielding an unchanged team.