Ben Stokes criticizes ICC after England loses WTC points for slow over-rate

England Test captain Ben Stokes voiced his frustration at the International Cricket Council (ICC) after his team was penalized for a slow over-rate during their first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch. England, who secured an 8-wicket victory with “10 hours of play still left,” according to Stokes, was docked three crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points and fined 15% of their match fees.

Taking to Instagram, Stokes sarcastically commented, “Good on you ICC,” accompanied by shrugging emojis, highlighting his dissatisfaction with the decision.

The ICC stated that both England and New Zealand were found three overs short of their target after time allowances were factored in. Each side was penalized one WTC point for every over they fell short. The sanctions, accepted by Stokes and New Zealand captain Tom Latham, were imposed by Match Referee David Boon, following reports from on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth official Kim Cotton.

The penalties have added intrigue to the race for the WTC final. While England is already out of contention, currently ranked sixth with a points percentage of 42.50, the ruling dealt a significant blow to New Zealand. The inaugural WTC champions dropped from joint fourth to fifth place, with their points percentage slipping to 47.92%.

Also See: ENG vs NZ Series Schedule | England Fixtures | New Zealand Cricket Schedule

Even with victories in the remaining two Tests against England, New Zealand’s best possible points percentage is 55.36%. Their path to the WTC final now depends on the results of other teams, making the penalty a critical setback in their campaign.

Despite the penalty, England remains focused on their strong performance in the series, while Stokes’ remarks underline ongoing debates about the fairness of over-rate penalties in fast-paced matches that finish ahead of schedule.