16-07-2025
"How Only 1 Team Has Been Reprimanded...": Ex-England Captain Alleges ICC Of Bias
Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed his disappointment over the decision of the International Cricket Counil (ICC) after the body penalised the team for maintaining a slow over rate in the third Test against India at Lord's. The England cricket team slipped a rung to third position in the World Test Championship table after being docked two points as a part of the penalty. Ben Stokes and Co. were also fined 10 per cent of their match fee after the Test, which they won by 22 runs on Monday. Match referee Richie Richardson imposed the sanction after England were ruled to be two overs short of the target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
"In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," the ICC said in statement.
"In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, two World Test Championship points have been deducted from England's points total," it added.
Vaughan claimed that India were also "very very poor" with their over rate and alleged the ICC of biasness.
"Let's be honest both teams over rates at Lord's were very very poor... How only 1 team has been reprimanded is beyond me," he wrote on X.
Let's be honest both teams over rates at Lords were very very poor .. How only 1 team has been reprimanded is beyond me .. #ENGvsIND
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 16, 2025
England's tally in the World Test Championship standings dropped from 24 to 22 out of 36 points, consequently reducing their point percentage (PCT) from 66.67 per cent to 61.11 per cent.
As a result, Sri Lanka, who have a 66.67 PCT, have taken over England to be second.
Australia leads the WTC table with a 100 percentage point having won all three of their games so far, while India have 33.33 PCT England captain Ben Stokes pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Ahsan Raza and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd levelled the charge.
