You Don't Get Your Lunch: Nasser Hussain & Ricky Ponting Propose Stricter Punishment For Slow Over-Rates

England and Australia might have managed to avoid defeat in the recently-concluded Ashes series but their fine performances in the series has turned a bit sour after both the teams were slapped with heavy sanctions for maintaining slow over-rates.

While both the teams were praised for the quality of cricket they produced throughout the series, they did face criticism for their failure to maintain a healthy over-rate. England have lost two-thirds of the World Test Championship (WTC) points they earned in the Ashes.

England were found guilty of slow over-rates in four of the five Tests. As a result, Ben Stokes & Co. have lost 19 of the 28 points they won for two wins and a draw. On the other hand, Australia have lost 10 points for a slow over rate in the fourth Test in Manchester.

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Ricky Ponting and Nasser Hussain provide solution:

The heavy sanctions imposed on England and Australia have triggered a debate in the cricketing fraternity. The point deduction has the potential to shatter both the teams’ hopes of qualifying for the ICC WTC final. Many believe that such heavy sanctions were tough on both the teams after the quality of cricket they displayed in the Ashes.

And as the debate over the sanctions continues, former captains Ricky Ponting and Nasser Hussain have come up with an alternate solution to deal with the slow over-rate issue. Speaking On the ICC Review, Ricky Ponting voiced his concern when asked about ways to rectify slow over-rate in Test cricket.

“I can’t see where all the time is going in the game, that’s the one thing I can’t understand,” Ricky Ponting said. “So, now there’s an extra half an hour played every day and still we’re losing six or seven overs every day. I don’t know, I just don’t get it. I don’t know where the time’s going.”

“The players have to take responsibility. I think the umpires can be more active in it as well. I think the umpires need to start just getting the players around more, getting them ready, getting them organised, making sure the batter’s ready to face up, making sure the bowler is at the end of his mark when the batsman gets back to his crease. We’ve got to find a way not to be losing so much time in these games.

“I know the cricket’s been ultra entertaining. Crowds are not going to be whinging about what they have seen as far as the cricket’s concerned, but when you go to a day’s play and you expect 90 overs, but you see 80, you have got to be a little bit disappointed,” he added.

Speaking further, Ricky Ponting recalled how point deduction in the inaugural edition of the WTC saw Australia miss out on playing the final, saying: “I honestly don’t know what the answer is but if a team, like Australia did last time, if they miss out on playing in the World Test Championship final just because of a few overs here and there then it is a pretty harsh penalty.”

Nasser Hussain, on the other hand, was more harsh in his assessment of the slow over-rate issue and said that the players should he held accountable for the same. The former England skipper stated that players should be asked to bowl the full quota of overs in a session even if results in shorter breaks.

“I think the penalties should be harsh. I do think it is something that upsets fans. Tickets, especially in England, are very expensive. So you want to get the full day. Now some people argue, well, you’re getting the entertainment anyway. But I do think, if you pay for 90 overs, you should expect 90 overs,” said Nasser Hussain.

“And after 85 overs, if they just suddenly stroll off with the extra half hour already been bowled, I do think fines, and World Test Championship deduction points, it has cost sides already a place in World Test Championship finals. So I do think the ICC should continue to be strong with teams.”

“And I do think to a degree, and I know you have to get TV companies to buy into it, but if you don’t bowl your 30 overs, you have to stay on. You don’t get your lunch, you don’t get your cup of tea until you bowl your 30 overs.

“Now what that will do is make players get through the day quicker, earlier, because the last thing you want is a three-and-a-half hour last session. The seamers in particular aren’t going to be overly thrilled if they have to bowl three and a half hours at the end, so umpires need to be stronger with players,” he added.