While the England Test team may have won the Lord's Test against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a significant penalty on them. The ICC has deducted 2 World Test Championship (WTC) points from England and has also fined the entire team 10 percent of their match fees.
ICC Latest Action on England Team: Following the conclusion of the Lord's Test (Lord’s Test IND vs ENG) between India and England, the ICC took major action against the England cricket team. Due to a slow over rate, two World Test Championship (WTC) points have been deducted from England. Along with this, a 10 percent fine on the team's match fees has also been imposed. This action has a direct impact on the World Test Championship points table.
Action on England under Ben Stokes' Captaincy, Decline in WTC Points
In the third Test played at Lord's, England defeated India by 22 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the series, but due to a slow over rate, the team had to face a setback from the ICC. According to the ICC, the England team failed to complete their overs within the stipulated time, due to which 2 points were deducted from the team. Earlier, England had 24 points, but now it has decreased to 22 points.
Due to this penalty, England's points percentage (PCT) has also dropped. Earlier, England's PCT was 66.67%, which has now reduced to 61.11%. After this decline, England slipped from second place to third place in the WTC table, while Sri Lanka moved to second place.
Impact on Players' Pockets, 10% Match Fee Fine
According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, if a team fails to complete its overs within the stipulated time, a fine of 5% per over is imposed. This rule was applied against the England team. On this basis, a 10 percent fine has been imposed on the players' match fees. England captain Ben Stokes has accepted this penalty, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
This penalty was confirmed by Richie Richardson, a member of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. The charges were leveled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid. Third umpire Ahsan Raza and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd also gave their consent in support of this.
Impact of Changes in the WTC Points Table
England has suffered a loss in the WTC race due to this action. Sri Lanka has taken advantage and has now secured the second position. India is already at the bottom of the points table after this defeat. This news is really disappointing for the fans of England because even though the team achieved an exciting victory in the Lord's Test, the price for this negligence had to be paid by losing points.
The fourth Test match between India and England will be played in Manchester from July 23, 2025. England is currently leading the series 2-1. This match will be a do-or-die situation for India, as losing could mean losing the series.
