Ben Stokes Refuses To Sign Over Rate Sheet: England Test captain Ben Stokes is single-handedly leading the voice against the ICC’s over-rate penalty rules. And in protest of this, he revealed that he’s not signed the over-rate chargesheet since the Lord’s Test in the Ashes 2023.
Recently, England and New Zealand were deducted three WTC points, and all players were fined 15% of their match fees after both teams were found three overs short of the target after consideration of the time allowances. So far, England have been docked 22 WTC points in this cycle due to slow-over rate, 19 of them being deducted during the Ashes 2023.
Speaking after the 1st NZ vs ENG Test in Christchurch, which finished on the fourth day, Stokes said, “The most frustrating thing, from both teams’ points of view, is that the game finished early, there was a result. But I think the frustration actually stems back to last year in the Ashes, where it was the first time I really brought it up to the match referee and the umpires.”
Stokes’ reasoning for slow-over rates is the usage of seamers in non-Asian conditions.
“There’s never an over-rate issue in Asia because of how much spin is played,” he explained.
“From a player’s point of view—and I’m not the only one who shares this opinion—we would like to have a lot more communication with the ICC around this.”
‘We’re yet to hear any response back from ICC’: Ben Stokes Refuses To Sign Over Rate Sheet
The ICC has not yet made any public comments about this, and going by Stokes’ revelation, the governing body has not spoken with him or the England team as well. The England skipper is further vexed by a non-response from the ICC. As a form of remonstration, Stokes has not signed the over-rate sheets since the Lord’s Test in the Ashes last year.
“It’s been over a year now since I made some comments around the over rates, and still to this day we’re yet to hear any response back from anyone at the ICC around that. I’ve not signed an over-rate sheet since Lord’s in the Ashes just until we hear some communication back from the ICC that we’re still waiting for,” Stokes asserted.
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