England cricket captain Ben Stokes expressed his frustration and bewilderment over the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to dock World Test Championship (WTC) points from his team following their recent match against New Zealand.
The ICC penalized England and New Zealand with three WTC points each for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Additionally, both teams were fined 15% of their match fees.
Ben Stokes retaliates against ICC
Stokes took to social media to voice his displeasure, posting a sarcastic comment, “Good on you ICC,” accompanied by three shrugging emojis. He further added, “Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left,” highlighting the discrepancy between the ICC’s ruling and the actual duration of the match. Stokes has been vocal about his confusion regarding the WTC regulations, previously calling the competition “utterly confusing” and admitting that he does not prioritize it.
The penalty has had significant implications for both teams. England, already out of contention for next year’s WTC final, now sits in sixth place with a points percentage of 42.50%. New Zealand, on the other hand, dropped from fourth to fifth place with a points percentage of 47.92%, making their path to the final even more challenging.
Ben Stokes is unhappy with the ICC's slow over-rate penalty following the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch 👀 pic.twitter.com/q7RxahOpBB
— CricWick (@CricWick) December 4, 2024
The sanctions were imposed by match referee David Boon, following charges brought by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth official Kim Cotton.
Also Read: D Gukesh holds Ding Liren to 4th straight draw after marathon Game 7 in the World Chess Championship
%20decision%20to%20dock%20World%20Test%20Championship%20(WTC)%20points%20from%20his%20team%20following%20their%20recent%20match%20against%20New%20Zealand.){kind=link}