• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Michael Vaughan Calls Out Icc After Englands Wtc Points Deduction India Were

Michael Vaughan Calls Out ICC After England’s WTC Points Deduction: "India Were..."

Sakshi Sharma

Michael Vaughan on England (Source: AP)Michael Vaughan on England (Source: AP)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has openly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for penalising only England for a slow over rate in the recently concluded third Test against India at Lord’s. 

England were found to be two overs short after time allowances were taken into account, leading to a deduction of two points in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. It is important to mention that a 10 per cent fine has also been imposed on England despite winning the third Test at Lord's.

Vaughan Raises Concerns Over Consistency

Vaughan took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration over the ICC's decision to sanction only England, despite what he claimed were equally poor over rates by both teams.

“Let’s be honest both teams over rates at Lord’s were very very poor… How only one team has been reprimanded is beyond me,” Vaughan posted.

Points Deduction Impacts England’s Standing

England’s win at Lord’s against India had briefly propelled them to second place on the WTC points table with 24 points from three matches. However, the deduction of two points dropped their tally to 22 points, lowering their points percentage from 66.67% to 61.11%.

As a result, Sri Lanka moved up to second place behind table-toppers Australia, while England slipped to third.

In its official statement, the ICC confirmed that England were penalised under Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions. In addition to the points penalty, the players were fined under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which mandates a five percent fine per over short.

It is important to note that the ICC did not report any penalty for India, who were also perceived to be behind the over-rate during the same Test.  India currently sit at fourth place on the WTC table with one win from three matches, holding a points percentage of 33.33%.

With every point carrying significant weight in the WTC race, especially with the final berth often decided by a narrow margin, calls have grown for the ICC to adopt clearer communication regarding over-rate offences.