ICC clarifies England to lose eight World Test Championship points after slow over rate at Gabba

There is no end of misery for England as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has clarified that they will be docked eight World Test Championship points instead of five as announced earlier for falling short of the required over-rate in the first Ashes Test played in Brisbane. 

The global governing body said that England fell short of the optimum over rate by eight overs and not five and hence they will be denied exactly the same number of points as the number of overs they failed to bowl.

Earlier, after the end of the Gabba Test that ended in a big loss for the Joe Root-led side, the ICC had announced a fine of 100 per cent match fees of Root and company and five World Test Championship points.

“However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalised one point for each over they were short,” said the ICC in a statement.

“As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, up to a maximum fine of 100 per cent of the match fee,” it added.

England are already 0-1 down in the five-match long Ashes series in Australia and they are not in the best position in the ongoing Day-Night Test in Adelaide.