Ben Stokes minces no words in criticizing ICC for slow over-rate penalties

The WTC Finals have been religiously held in England since their inaugural season in 2021. Ironically, England has never qualified for the marquee event. Now, the English skipper has stated that he pays no heed to the World Test Championship, as he finds it "confusing." The captain, currently on tour in New Zealand, is irked by the points system's implications for England following the first Test. After venting his frustration over the points deduction on his personal social media account, Stokes has criticized the regulation in his latest media interaction.

Ben Stokes comes down heavily on ICC after facing slow over-rate penalties

Ben Stokes called for ICC to review its over-rate rule. The English team, not in the running to qualify for the 2025 WTC Final, was docked three points. New Zealand, with a slim chance to qualify faced similar repercussions at the end of the first Test at Christchurch. Though the points deduction has hit New Zealand more severely, it has not landed well with Ben Stokes.

The penalties, handed down last week at Hagley Oval, resulted in the teams facing 15% match fee fines in addition to the WTC points slump. New Zealand, who dropped from fourth to fifth on the WTC table, now face an uphill battle to qualify for the final. England, meanwhile, are in sixth place, largely due to over-rate sanctions. While England had fallen out of the contention way before these deductions, Stokes's reaction is understandable given that England has lost 22 points in the 2023-25 WTC cycle, including 19 points deducted during the 2023 Ashes.

Following the first Test, Stokes was seen in an extended discussion with match referee David Boon, who had imposed the sanctions. While Stokes initially expressed his frustration on Instagram, he expanded on his concerns in a media interaction at Basin Reserve on Wednesday, ahead of the second Test. He also referenced grievances dating back to the Lord’s Test against Australia in 2023.

During the Lord’s game, England chased down a target of 104 runs in just 13 overs on the fourth day. However, according to ICC regulations, both England and Australia were found to be three overs short in their respective innings. Stokes pointed out that, on Day 1 of that match, England bowled 83 overs while taking eight wickets, with six and a half hours of play accounted for. In comparison, he noted, during the first day of the opening Test between India and Australia, 77 overs were bowled with 17 wickets falling, creating more significant delays.

“The most frustrating thing is it’s an issue depending on where you are in the world and the style of cricket that’s played,” said Stokes, while also pointing out his side won the first Test with a day and a half to spare. “There is never an over-rate issue in Asia because of how much spin is bowled. I think there needs to be some consideration around how over rates differ when it’s a seam-dominant Test match.”

England’s sixth-place position on the WTC table leaves them out of the running for a spot in the final, while New Zealand’s chances remain slim. To qualify, the Kiwis must win all their remaining matches and hope for favorable results in other fixtures. The English skippers remains adamant on his arguments as he denied signing the over-rate sheet listing the penalties and the conditions.

“I’ve not signed an over-rate sheet since Lord’s in the Ashes,” Stokes said. “I won’t [sign] until we hear some communication back from the ICC. We’re still waiting for that. But they still take the fines off you anyway. We’re not purposely being slower,’ Stokes added.