England’s World Test Championship (WTC) campaign has suffered a major setback as they have lost a significant number of WTC points due to consistently slow over rates during the Ashes series. Ben Stokes’ side failed to maintain the required rate in four out of the five Tests, resulting in a loss of 19 out of the 28 points they had earned from two wins and a draw.
The consequences of their slow over rates are not limited to just losing points. Both England and Australia players have also been fined 5% of their match fee for each point lost. This serves as a reminder to teams about the importance of adhering to the rules and maintaining an acceptable pace of play.
The penalty system for slow over rates is straightforward – teams are docked one point for every over they fall short. In England’s case, they lost two points for missing two overs at Edgbaston, nine points from the Lord’s Test, three points from Old Trafford, and five points from The Oval. This means that England have lost a total of 19 WTC points due to their slow over rates.
This setback comes at an unfortunate time as the third edition of the World Test Championship has just begun, with a final scheduled to be played in 2025. England currently finds themselves in fifth place in the early standings, while Australia sits in third place. Pakistan currently leads the table after their series win over Sri Lanka.
In this World Test Championship format, teams accumulate points from each Test they play over a two-year cycle. The top two teams at the end of this cycle will meet in a one-off match to determine the ultimate champion. It is crucial for teams to perform consistently well throughout this period and avoid any unnecessary deductions.
It is worth noting that Australia emerged victorious in the previous edition of the Test Championship, defeating India by 209 runs at The Oval in June. From then, the new cycle of World Test Championship 2023-25 started
Usman Khawaja came on twitter to express his discontent with point system. He wrote:
Don’t even get the chance to bowl in the second innings at Manchester due to 2 days of rain and ICC still issue fines and take 10 WTC points of us for slow over rates! That makes a lot of sense… ♂️
England has been heavily fined, losing one third of their total WTC points which will come in as decisive factor as the points table stimulates. Khawaja also mentioned that despite providing entertaining cricket, to be fined is “extremely frustrating.”
Slow over rates have been a persistent issue in cricket, and it is essential for teams to address this problem. The penalties imposed on England and Australia highlight the seriousness of maintaining an acceptable pace of play. It not only affects the flow of the game but also has significant consequences at the final stages of the championship.
