• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Ben Stokes Takes Dig At Icc With Cryptic Story Rubbishes Unfair Wtc Penalty On England

Ben Stokes Takes Dig At ICC With Cryptic Story, Rubbishes Unfair WTC Penalty On England

Soumyajit Dutta

Stokes lashes out at ICC for penalising England [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]Stokes lashes out at ICC for penalising England [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

England captain Ben Stokes was seemingly affected by ICC after his side was penalised three World Test Championship points for slow over-rates during the first Test against New Zealand. ICC imposed a 15% match fee fine for both teams besides deducting WTC points. 

Stokes, vocal earlier about the unimportance of WTC finals, lashed out at the penalty on his Instagram story. Though Stokes labelled WTC finals as 'weird' and 'confusing', the deduction of points and the match fee fine triggered the Three Lions' captain.

Stokes Thrashes ICC Over 'Unfair' Penalty

In his official Instagram account, Stokes posted a story featuring news of the penalty imposed by ICC with a caption, "Good on you ICC. Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left," expressing his frustration with the 'slow over rate' decision even though the match was finished way ahead of the scheduled time.

The penalty to both teams was a significant blow to their WTC campaign. Though England was already out of contention, New Zealand was more affected as they were already fighting to secure a spot in the final.

New Zealand Almost Out Of WTC Finals 2025

While England's commanding eight-wicket win at Hagley Oval showcased their dominance, it did little to improve their position in the WTC. However, The Black Caps, who were joint fourth in the WTC standings, have dropped down to fifth place with a reduced points percentage of 47.92%. 

Even if the Kiwis book their remaining two Tests against England with consecutive wins, their maximum possible points percentage will only rise to 55.36%. To qualify for the final, New Zealand will now need favourable results in other matches.