Ben Stokes Adresses The Slow Over-Rate Issue (Source: @88Brooky/x.com)
Despite a nerve-wrecking victory at the Lord’s, England faced a massive setback with a hefty penalty regarding the slow over-rates. The loss of valuable WTC points sparked widespread debate and controversy.
Before stepping into the upcoming match of the series, England skipper Ben Stokes addressed the issue. In the pre-match press conference, he urged the ICC to reconsider the current over-rate penalties, calling for a fairer approach to the rule.
Stokes Urges ICC To Re-Evaluated The Rules
After an intense competition at the Lord’s, England pulled off a dominating 22-run victory and took the lead of the series by a 2-1 margin. Despite the triumph, they were slapped with a 10% match fee fine and docked two crucial WTC points for a slow over-rate, turning victory into a bittersweet affair.
That move sparked controversy as many has spoken about the move of the ICC. Before stepping into the Manchester Test, English captain Ben Stokes lashed out on ICC and urged the governing body to rethink the over-rate rules, highlighting the need for consistency across conditions.
“Over rate isn't something that I worry about, but that's not saying that I purposely slow things down. I do understand the frustration around it, but I honestly think there needs to be a real hard look at how it's structured,” he said.
“You can't have the same rules in Asia, where spin is bowling 70 per cent of the overs, to have the same laws in New Zealand, Australia, England, where it's going to be 70-80 per cent seam bowling. Because a spinner's over takes less time than a seamer's over. So common sense would think that you should look at maybe changing how the over rates are timed in different continents,” he added.
A Five-Day Test Match Makes It More Difficult
As the slow over rate policy has stirred up a controversy, Ben Stokes highlighted the heavy workload of the players, especially the fast bowlers. He stressed that the physical toll over a five-day Test match affects the process naturally.
“I can understand it from an external point of view around the overs, I really do. But it's a very tough thing to do when I feel there's more to it than just getting rounds, getting told I'll just quicken up, get three overs,” he said.
“There's a lot that actually goes on the field. You've got fast bowlers bending their backs consistently. So throughout the course of a game, the time of overs is going to come down because you've just got tired bodies,” he added.
Putting the past results aside, both sides are set to lock horns in the fourth Test match in Manchester. With a strong past record at Old Trafford, England will look to extend their dominance.
