‘We would like to have a lot more communication with ICC about over-rate rule’

Stokes calls for more communication with ICC over over-rate rules

Ben Stokes, England Test captain, has expressed his displeasure with the ICC's lack of communication regarding the over-rate rules. Following England's over-rate offense in the first Test against New Zealand, both teams were penalized with three WTC points and a 15% match fee fine.

Stokes' frustration stems from the inconsistency of the rule application and the impact on the WTC points table. England has had 22 points deducted so far in this WTC cycle, including 19 from the 2023 Ashes. New Zealand, meanwhile, dropped from fourth to fifth on the table due to the penalty.

"The most frustrating thing is that it's always an issue depending on where you are in the world and the style of cricket that's played… From a player's point of view, we would like to have a lot more communication with the ICC around this," Stokes said.

Stokes was particularly irked by the non-response from the ICC and has not signed the over-rate chargesheet since the Lord's Test as a form of protest. He emphasized the need for better communication between the ICC and the players to address the issue effectively.