In a stern move, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed significant penalties on England and Australia for their slow over-rates during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Despite Australia emerging victorious in a thrilling encounter, both teams faced the consequences. England and Australia had two points deducted from their respective World Test Championship (WTC) tally, while the players were fined 40 percent of their match fees.
Following an assessment by match referee Andy Pycroft, it was determined that both teams fell short by two overs when considering the time allowances. However, the captains of both sides, Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes, accepted the sanctions, eliminating the need for formal hearings.
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This decision means Australia’s WTC points have been reduced to 10, as they lost two points from their first Test of the new cycle. On the other hand, England’s deduction of two points places them behind all eight of their rivals in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, leaving them with a current tally of -2.
🚨 JUST IN: Australia and England have been handed crucial #WTC25 sanctions after the first #Ashes Test.
Details 👇https://t.co/VmEz7pYKFU
— ICC (@ICC) June 21, 2023
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For Cummins and his Australian team, this series against England is crucial as it is one of the six series that will determine their qualification chances for the next WTC Final, set to be held at Lord’s in London in June 2025. It is worth noting that both Australia and India faced penalties for slow over-rates in the WTC23 Final.
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According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, failing to maintain the minimum over-rate results in fines of 20 percent of the match fee for every over not bowled within the allocated time. Additionally, Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions stipulates that teams are penalized one point for each over they fall short. Consequently, two World Test Championship points were deducted from the points total of both England and Australia.
The ICC’s decision to enforce penalties for slow over-rates emphasizes the importance of maintaining the pace of the game and adhering to the stipulated rules and regulations. It serves as a reminder to teams to prioritize over-rates and ensures the smooth progression of Test matches.
