Home
Frustration is mounting for Australian opener Usman Khawaja after his team was docked 10 points from the World Test Championship (WTC) due to slow over-rates, all during the recently drawn Ashes series against England.
Khawaja, who also serves on the Australian Cricketers’ Association board, has expressed his dissatisfaction towards the International Cricket Council (ICC). Last month, the ICC slightly reduced penalties for slow over-rates, yet the dissatisfaction continues.
In the five-match Ashes series, which culminated in a 2-2 draw allowing Australia to retain the coveted Ashes urn, the team forfeited over a third of their original 28 points. This penalty came as a result of falling 10 overs short in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Khawaja voiced his displeasure over this on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, stating, "Don’t even get the chance to bowl in the second innings at Manchester due to 2 days of rain and @ICC still issue fines and take 10 WTC points off us for slow over rates!"
Adding a touch of sarcasm, the 36-year-old top scorer of the series further added, "That makes a lot of sense..."
This recent point deduction has impacted Australia's standing in the WTC points table, causing them to slip to the third position, lagging behind Pakistan and India. The point loss has effectively widened the gap between Australia and the top two contenders.
However, England found themselves in an even worse scenario, having been penalised a whopping 19 WTC points for their slow over-rates in four out of five matches.
Despite a remarkable turnaround from being 2-0 down to drawing the Ashes series under Ben Stokes' leadership, England could only muster nine points. As a result, they are currently ranked fifth in the WTC table, trailing behind a yet-to-win West Indies team after four matches.
Slow over-rates in the series were largely attributed to the limited role of spin, especially following the injury of Australia's Nathan Lyon during the second match.
Ricky Ponting, former Australia captain, called on umpires to quicken the game by ensuring players are ready for action, minimising time wastage. "We’ve got to find a way not to be losing so much time in these games," Ponting stated during the ICC Review.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain countered that the penalties for slow over-rate "should be harsh," as it directly impacts the spectators who pay hefty prices for tickets, "if you pay for 90 overs, you should expect 90 overs," he concluded.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
IPL winner Manoj Tiwary bids 'goodbye to the game' after 19 years
'He needs to learn from Rohit and Virat': Ex-India batter unimpressed with Ishan Kishan despite his Man of the Series-winning display
