December 4th 2024.
The England cricket captain, Ben Stokes, expressed his disappointment with the ICC's decision to penalize both England and New Zealand for slow over rates in their first match in Christchurch. The teams were docked three points and players were fined 15 percent of their match fees. This has resulted in England losing a total of 22 points in the World Test Championship and New Zealand dropping from fourth to fifth in the rankings. The punishment has also dealt a blow to New Zealand's chances of making it to the final next year, following their defeat to England in just four days at Hagley Oval.
According to the ICC statement, match referee David Boon imposed the sanctions after both teams were found to be three overs short of the target, even after time allowances were taken into consideration. This is in violation of Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which states that a team will be fined five percent of their match fee for every over they fail to bowl in the allotted time. In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a team will be penalized one point for each over short. Both captains, Stokes and Tom Latham, pleaded guilty to the offense and accepted the proposed sanction, eliminating the need for a formal hearing. The charges were leveled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth official Kim Cotton.
The second Test between England and New Zealand is set to begin in Wellington on Thursday, and England has announced an unchanged XI for the match. Ollie Pope will continue as wicket-keeper after Jordan Cox injured his thumb, and Jacob Bethell will retain his spot at No.3 following his impressive performance with the bat in the last match. Ollie Robinson of Durham was called up as cover for wicket-keeper, but after their convincing eight-wicket victory, England has decided to stick with the same team.
Before the Test, Stokes took to Instagram to express his thoughts on the punishment handed down by the ICC. Along with three shrugging emojis, he wrote, "Good on you ICC. Finished the game with 10 overs of play still left." New Zealand, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back in Wellington and level the series. There were concerns over Stokes' fitness after he fell awkwardly while diving for a catch and complained of stiffness in his back. However, the 33-year-old all-rounder has reassured everyone that he is ready to play and "raring to go". He also mentioned that he hurt his back on the first day of the previous match but was able to manage it well. With England aiming for a 2-0 series lead, Stokes is confident that his body will hold up and is looking forward to the upcoming match.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
