ENG vs IND 2025: Ben Stokes asks ICC to show common sense in slow over-rate penalties
Stokes is now advocating to lead ICC into adopting a more sensible approach in sanctioning the charges for slow over-rates during a Test match.
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England were charged for maintaining slow over-rates during the third Test of the ongoing series against India at Lord's. The sanction by the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not sit well with the England captain Ben Stokes, as his side had to also miss out on the points in the World Test Championship, which has eventually affected their ranking negatively on the table despite managing an outright win against the Indians.
Stokes is now advocating to lead ICC into adopting a more sensible approach in sanctioning the charges for slow over-rates during a Test match. The star all-rounder has said that the over-rates should be determined on the basis of the continents a match is being played in, and the way of levelling the penalties should be a should change with location.
“Over-rate isn’t something I worry about, but that’s not saying I purposely slow things down. I do understand the frustration around it, but I honestly think there needs to be a real hard look at how it’s structured,” he said as quoted by Yorkshire Post.
“Common sense would think you should look at changing how the over-rates are timed in different continents. You can’t have the same rules in Asia where spin is bowling 70 per cent of the overs to have the same laws in New Zealand, Australia, England, where it’s going to be 70, 80 per cent of seam bowled,” he added.
Don't think people watch cricket for over-rates
The New Zealand-born further feels that a captain cannot always prioritize the rate at which the overs are being bowled in an hour, since a game of cricket is much more than just the essence of time. Handing the ball to a spinner just to pace up the over-rate would not always be a wise decision, since the conditions are also a decisive factor in picking the right type of bowlers to win a match for the team.
“There are times during games where there effectively isn’t a game on the line, where you will then just throw the ball to a spinner to get your overs round. You’re playing in an international game where you’re just trying to get your over-rate back. I don’t think people want to come and watch that,” Stokes concluded on the row.
England bring Dawson in for Manchester Test
The fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 is set to begin on July 23 at the Old Trafford, and The Three Lions have already named their playing combination for the encounter. The hosts were forced to make one change, as injured Shoaib Bashir had to make way for left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Liam Dawson.
England Playing XI for 4th Test vs India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
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