Stuart Broad Slams ICC's Slow Over Rate Penalties During Ashes Series
Stuart Broad isn't happy with England's 19 point penalty | Source: Twitter
Stuart Broad, the recently-retired fast bowler from England, has criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its approach to penalties regarding slow over rates.
Notably, England were docked 19 points out of their total of 28 and could manage only nine points from the Ashes 2023. Australia also faced a deduction of 10 points, resulting in a combined total of 18 points after the series concluded with a 2-2 tie.
Here’s what Stuart Broad told the Daily Mail:
"It diminishes the relevance of the World Test Championship, to be honest.”
“It’s been one of the most entertaining series of all time and for England to come out with nine points from a possible 60, the system’s wrong and needs looking at.”
As per ICC regulations, teams have one point deducted from their total score for each over not bowled within the specified time.
After the series, England were found 19 overs short across four of the five Tests, while Australia were found short of 10 overs, primarily due to rain disruptions during the Old Trafford Test, leading to a 10-point deduction.
Besides the World Test Championship points, both teams are also subjected to a fine of five percent of their match fee for every over not completed.
Earlier, the former Australia captain Ricky Ponting stated that officials should encourage players to be more active on the field to minimize time loss. Here’s what Ponting said in an episode of ICC Review:
“I think the umpires need to start just getting the players around more. Getting them ready, getting them organised, making sure the batter’s ready to face up, making sure the bowler is at the end of his mark when the batsman gets back to his crease. We’ve got to find a way not to be losing so much time in these games.”
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