In response to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) penalties for slow over-rates during the World Test Championship (WTC), England captain Ben Stokes didn't mince his words. His remarks follow the Three Lions being penalized two vital WTC points for having a low over-rate in the Lord's Test, which England won by 22 runs over India last week. In addition to having two points deducted, England was also penalized 10% of their game fees.

When debating about slow over rates, venues should be taken into account, and the regulations should be changed, according to Stokes. The regulations, he said, must differ for the SENA nations and for the circumstances in Asia.

The all-rounder for England, who was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance in the Lord's Test, said that time over are bowled because spinners rule the roost in Asian conditions. In contrast, the SENA nations are not the same because pacers are allowed more overs, which keeps the over-rate low.

"I don't worry about over rate, but I'm not saying that I deliberately slow things down. I understand the annoyance surrounding it, but I honestly believe that we need to take a close look at its structure. During a pre-match press conference before the Manchester Test, Stokes stated that the laws in Asia, where spin is bowling 70% of the overs, cannot be the same as those in New Zealand, Australia, and England, where seam bowling will account for 70–80% of the overs.

"Because a seamer's over takes longer than a spinner's over. Therefore, it would be logical to examine if the timing of over rates should be modified between continents. I also think that the over rates have noticeably decreased over the past several years. Sometimes in games, everything is at stake, and you won't simply toss the ball to a spinner in order to complete your overs. You're not competing in an international match where all you're trying to do is make up for your over rate. "I don't believe the public wants to come and witness that," he said.

Former Michael Vaughan had previously criticized the ICC for fining England while allowing India to get away with it. Both England and India were fined since he claimed that both teams were guilty of keeping a slow over-rate.

England determined to have violated the Code of Conduct

The ICC formally announced the penalty on England following the conclusion of the Lord's Test. Since Stokes had confessed to the accusation at the time, a formal hearing was not necessary.

The ICC stated in its official release that the accusation was made by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Ahsan Raza, and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd.

Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees issued the punishment after considering time allowances and determining that England was two overs short of the mark.

According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, for each over that their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, players are assessed a penalty of 5% of their match fee.

In addition, Stokes explained the sluggish over-rate in the Lord's Test by pointing out that Shoaib Bashir, their only frontline spinner, was hurt during the first innings, which also contributed significantly.

"From the perspective of an outsider looking at the overs, I honestly can comprehend it." However, when I think there's more to it than simply getting rounds, being advised to speed up, and receiving three overs, it's quite difficult to accomplish. The field is really busy. Your quick bowlers are always bending their backs. As a result, the time of overs in a game will decrease as a result of tired bodies, Stokes explained.

"It was our 15th day of cricket, and we had been playing for five days. It was evident that Shoaib Bashir, a spinner, was hurt. As a result, we were unable to use our spinner as much as we would have liked on day five. As a result, we were forced to throw a seam at them for the majority of the day. As a result, things will undoubtedly move more slowly. Additionally, there are moments during the game when you do attempt to slow things down, maybe more strategically, if anything like that,&" he said.

Read Also: Ashwin Criticizes Sensationalizing of Rishabh Pant's Injury

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!