"Imagine if we had..." - Aakash Chopra brutally trolls England over ICC's stop-clock rule implementation

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra took a dig at England following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) announcement of a new rule. Aakash Chopra’s remarks were directed at the performance of the Ben Stokes-led team in the recent Test series in India.

The visiting team surprised the Rohit Sharma-led side with a 28-run victory in the series opener in Hyderabad. Despite a 190-run deficit in the first innings, the England team made a remarkable comeback to clinch the match, taking an early 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

However, they failed to maintain the winning momentum as the hosts secured victory in the second Test in Vishakapatnam. They faced defeats in the subsequent three matches in Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharmashala. Consequently, they lost the series by a margin of 1-4.

Aakash Chopra Brutally Trolls England

Aakash Chopra expressed his views on the Stop Clock rule, set to be permanently implemented by the ICC during the T20 World Cup. Chopra suggested that England might face more penalties if the rule were to be applied in the Test series against India.

“Imagine if we had a similar rule in Test cricket. Especially in the recently concluded #IndvEng Test series,” Aakash Chopra wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Imagine if we had a similar rule in Test cricket. Especially in the recently concluded #IndvEng Test series. 🤣😂 https://t.co/8elTRR4lZu

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 15, 2024

However, England did not face any penalties for slow over rates during the recently concluded Test series in India. It’s worth noting that England lost 19 points due to slow overrates during the Ashes 2023 series at home last year.

ICC To Introduce Stop Clock Rule During ICC T20 World Cup 2024

According to Cricbuzz, the International Cricket Council (ICC) intends to implement the new “stop-clock” rule during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. The board aims to extend this rule to all international white-ball cricket formats in the future.

The rule, aimed at addressing slow over rates in T20Is and ODIs, has been under trial since December. The rule mandates a 60-second timer after each over. A five-run penalty will be imposed if the fielding team fails to start the next over within the designated time.

The on-field umpires will use their discretion to implement the rule based on various factors, such as the readiness of the bowling side and other match-related considerations like injuries or the Decision Review System process.

To Speed Up The Pace Of Play Across International Cricket – Wasim Khan

Before trials began, ICC General Manager Wasim Khan emphasized that the initiative aimed to accelerate the pace of play across international cricket, building on previous successful interventions to streamline the game’s regulations.

“We are continually looking at ways to speed up the pace of play across international cricket. The stop clock trial in white ball international cricket follows the introduction of a successful new playing condition in 2022, which resulted in the fielding team only being allowed four fielders outside of the inner circle if they were not in a position to bowl the first ball of their final over in the stipulated time,” Wasim Khan said (via The Hindu).

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