England Test captain Ben Stokes has voiced his frustration over the ICC’s lack of communication with players regarding the over-rate rule and urged the governing body to reassess its standards for the World Test Championship (WTC).
Stokes’ concerns come after England and New Zealand were penalized for over-rate offences during their first Test, despite the match concluding within four days.
Both teams were docked three WTC points and fined 15% of their match fees. The penalty dropped New Zealand from fourth to fifth in the WTC standings, while England’s cumulative over-rate penalties in the current cycle now total 22 points, including 19 deducted during the 2023 Ashes.
Stokes expressed particular irritation at the penalties imposed despite the match finishing early.
“The most frustrating thing, from both teams’ perspectives, is that the game finished early, and there was a result. This frustration goes back to the Ashes last year when I first raised the issue with the match referee and umpires,” Stokes said.
He criticized the inconsistency of the rule’s application, noting that over-rate issues rarely arise in spin-heavy conditions in Asia.
“It depends on where you are in the world and the style of cricket being played. Tactical decisions like field changes or discussions with bowlers aren’t taken into account. Simply being told to ‘hurry up’ doesn’t address the reality of the game,” he explained.
Stokes also revealed his frustration with the ICC’s silence on the matter. “It’s been over a year since I brought this up, and we’ve yet to hear any response from the ICC. I haven’t signed an over-rate sheet since the Lord’s Test during the Ashes, as a form of protest, but they still deduct the fines regardless,” he added.
While Stokes acknowledged that conversations with match referees had been productive, he reiterated the need for greater dialogue between players and the ICC to resolve the over-rate issue. “The match referees have been understanding from a player’s perspective, but meaningful communication from the ICC is still missing,” Stokes concluded.
As both teams and captains, including Stokes and New Zealand’s Tom Latham, accepted the charges in Christchurch, Stokes’ remarks underline the broader dissatisfaction among players regarding the current handling of over-rate regulations in Test cricket.