England fined, docked two WTC points for slow over rate at Lord's
The hosts went 2-1 up in the five-Test series with a thrilling 22-run victory but were found two overs short of target in a match where the Dukes ball went out of shape several times and had to be replaced.
'England captain Ben Stokes pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing,' the International Cricket Council said in a statement.
England's Archer keen to play remaining India Tests, Ashes
Players lose 5% of their match fees for every over their team fail to bowl in the allotted time. It also costs the team one WTC point.
England slipped from second to third in the WTC standings behind Sri Lanka following the points deduction. Australia, who completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies earlier this week, lead the standings in the new 2025-2027 cycle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Injured Stokes ruled out of final Test v India, Archer rested
LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes will miss the fifth and final Test against India at the Oval because of a shoulder injury and fast bowler Jofra Archer has been rested. Stokes, player of the match in the draw at Old Trafford after smashing a century and taking six wickets, was ruled out of the match beginning on Thursday after scans on his right shoulder. England lead the series 2-1. 'I've got a decent tear of one of the muscles that I can't pronounce,' Stokes told reporters on Wednesday. 'Obviously we took as long as we could to make that decision. Obviously a bit of emotion going into this kind of stuff when you find out what you've done. 'It's one of those where it was weighing up the risk reward, and the risk was way too high for damaging this any further than it currently is. I wouldn't expect to put any of my other players at risk with an injury like this.' Stokes said there was no danger of the injury impacting on England's Ashes tour in Australia later this year and said six or seven weeks of rehabilitation would be required. Stokes ready to push through pain barrier against India Ollie Pope will captain the side in Stokes's absence with Jacob Bethell recalled to take the number six slot. Archer played back-to-back Tests at Lord's and Old Trafford in what is the injury-prone pacer's first Test series in four years and a third match would have been considered a risk. Pace bowler Brydon Carse and spinner Liam Dawson were also dropped as England included the pace trio of Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue. Stokes said the match was a chance for others to shine. 'We're still able to field an 11 that's going to give us a very good chance of winning this game and winning the series,' he said. 'That's the benefit of having a very strong squad.' India rescued a draw in Manchester on Sunday, ending the final day on 425-4 despite having been in huge trouble at 0-2 the previous day after trailing by 311 on first innings. There was some needle in the closing stages as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar completed centuries with frustrated England wanting to call time on play with no result possible. 'Jadeja and Washington played incredibly well up until that point, so you sort of understand as to why they wanted to stay out there and get the hundreds,' Stokes said. 'I'm not going to bowl any of my bowlers in a situation where we can't win the game and expose any of those guys to injuries. We're over it. I think India are over it. 'Let's just try our best not to focus too much on a 20 minute period of cricket in what has been a really good series.' England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
Express Tribune
21 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pak to oppose ICC's new Test system
Pakistan have decided to oppose the proposed two-tier system in Test cricket, taking a stand against the growing dominance of elite cricketing nations. Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formed an eight-member working group, headed by Sanjog Gupta, to explore the possibility of restructuring the World Test Championship. The group includes key figures such as England Cricket Board CEO Richard Gould and Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg. They are expected to present their recommendations to the ICC Board by the end of the year. The proposal seeks to divide the current nine-team format into two divisions of six teams each, possibly starting with the 2027-2029 World Test Championship cycle. The new structure would require a two-thirds majority vote from the ICC's 12 full members to be implemented. Under this model, the top six teams in the current ICC Test rankings, Australia, South Africa, England, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka would likely form Division One. Teams ranked lower, such as Pakistan (7th), West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe, face relegation to Division Two. Sources within the PCB have confirmed the board's strong opposition to the plan. "Cricket is not the property of just a few powerful nations," said a senior official. "Smaller teams can only improve if they are given regular opportunities to play against top-level competition," he added. The official added that while Pakistan may secure its place in Division One by improving its ranking in the coming year, the board is advocating on behalf of all developing cricket nations. "What will happen to Bangladesh and West Indies? How will they improve by only playing each other?" the official questioned. Pakistan has faced criticism for allegedly not prioritizing Test cricket, but the PCB insists this is inaccurate. While only 5 Test matches are scheduled for Pakistan this year. Among them, they suffered a defeat against South Africa in Cape Town, while the 2-Test home series against West Indies ended in a 1-1 draw. Now, two Test matches will be played against South Africa in October and November. The schedule for 2026 includes nine Tests, providing ample opportunity to climb the rankings. It includes Two Tests in Bangladesh in March, April 2026, Two Tests in West Indies in July, August, Three Tests in England August, September, and a two-match home Tests against Sri Lanka in November. The PCB views these fixtures as a chance to boost performance and strengthen its position in the global Test rankings. The board remains committed to preserving Test cricket as a global, inclusive format, not one dominated by a handful of nations. Pak begin preparations The Pakistan cricket team commenced their preparations for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies with an intense training session at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium. Currently touring the United States of America (USA) for the three-match T20I leg, the Green Shirts underwent a rigorous three-hour practice session under the supervision of the coaching staff. The session included fielding drills, net practice, and skill-specific routines tailored for both bowlers and batters. The day began with warm-up exercises and physical drills, followed by focused net sessions aimed at improving execution and overall match readiness. Pakistan will face the West Indies in the opening T20I on July 31 at the same venue in Lauderhill, with Salman Ali Agha set to lead the side during the T20I series. Following the T20Is, the tour will shift to the Caribbean, where Mohammad Rizwan will take over captaincy duties for the three-match ODI series, beginning August 8 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Broad, Hussain warn England against risking Archer at the Oval
England will be putting fast bowler Jofra Archer at risk of a fresh injury if they select him for the fifth and final match against India at the Oval this week, according to former Test players Stuart Broad and Nasser Hussain. Archer is taking part in his first Test series in four years after overcoming elbow and back injuries. The 30-year-old sat out the first two matches before claiming five wickets in his return to the format at Lord's and four in the drawn Manchester Test. While India could draw the series with a win at the Oval, Broad told Sky Sports that England should prioritize Archer's long-term fitness. 'We can't not have Archer for four years, bring him back and then bowl him into the ground and not see him for another four years,' he said. '(Josh) Tongue started the series, and I know he mainly got lower-order players out, but you probably have a natural replacement for Archer.' England have added fast bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton to their tiring pace battery. Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse have played all four Tests, while skipper Ben Stokes said he would 'run through a brick wall' to try to be available for the final Test beginning on Thursday. Gus Atkinson and Tongue are likely to feature in the decisive final Test, and England are likely to rest Archer with the Ashes series against Australia in four months' time. 'I don't think you can have Archer playing three on the bounce coming back after four years,' former England captain Hussain told Sky Sports. 'Gus Atkinson coming back after a long time, and then Stokes with a niggle as three of your four seamers - but I would definitely play Atkinson on his home ground if fit.'
