England Punished For Breaching Code of Conduct Despite Lord's Win Over India

England have been fined and lost points in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) after their slow over rate during the third Test against India at Lord’s. The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the full announcement on Wednesday as the hosts were found short of their allotted no. of overs.

England defeated India at Lord's in a thrilling match that turned out to be a classic. Skipper Ben Stokes played a key role in his team's victory. Despite winning the Lord's Test, England suffered a huge blow as they were fined by the ICC following the match.

England Slow Over Rate Punishment

England, led by Ben Stokes, were found to be two overs short of the required number, even after time allowances. The ICC has fined 10% of England’s match fees. The punishment was given under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct. According to the rule, players lose 5% of their match fee for each over they fail to bowl on time.

Since England were two overs short, they were fined 10%. The charge was imposed by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, with help from third umpire Ahsan Raza and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd. Along with the fine, England were docked two WTC points. This happened under Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions. The rule says a team loses one point for each over short. Before the penalty, England had 24 points from a possible 36.

Now, their total has dropped down to 22 points. Their percentage points have also fallen, from 66.67% to 61.11%. As a result, England has been dropped from second to third place in the WTC table. Sri Lanka have now moved up to second. The penalties were imposed by Richie Richardson from the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

Ben Stokes Accepts England Slow Over Rate Punishment

Skipper Ben Stokes accepted the punishment and pleaded guilty to the offence. This meant there was no need for a formal hearing. The ICC confirmed that the case was closed after his acceptance. The IND vs ENG Lord's Test was a thrilling match. It went down to the final day. Both teams had scored 387 runs in their first innings, making it a level playing field. England then built a lead of 192 runs in their second innings. India struggled early in their chase of 193.

But Ravindra Jadeja led a brave fightback with the lower order. He put together key partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. India came very close. But in the end, England won by 22 runs in a tense finish. While England celebrated the win, the penalty hurt their WTC campaign. With only two points taken away, they have slipped in the standings.

In a tight WTC race, every point matters. This could affect England’s chances of reaching the final. They now trail both Sri Lanka and Australia in the standings. The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series continues with the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting July 23. England currently lead the five-match series 2-1.

However, the hosts will now continue their campaign without their only spinner, Shoaib Bashir, who has been ruled out due to a finger injury. Liam Dawson has been added to the squad as his replacement. Even though the new WTC cycle has just begun, the race has already heated up with intense competition from each team. Every over and every point will count and it will be interesting to see how the English cricket team will bounce back stronger on the WTC 2025-27 rankings.