England captain Ben Stokes has criticised the current over-rate regulations after his side were penalised during their 22-run win over India at Lord’s. England were docked World Test Championship (WTC) points and fined 10 percent of their match fees for a slow over-rate, despite a thrilling and hard-fought contest.
Stokes admitted to the slow over-rate but argued that the current rules unfairly target teams that rely heavily on fast bowling. “You can’t have the same rules in Asia, where a spinner is bowling 70 percent of the overs, as you do in England, New Zealand or Australia, where seamers are bowling 70 to 80 percent. A spinner’s over takes less time than a seamer’s, so common sense should apply when calculating over-rates in different continents,” he said.
He also pointed to practical issues that affect over-rates, such as player fatigue, injuries, and higher scoring rates. “That was our 15th day of cricket. We had an injury to Bashir, our spinner, so we had to rely on seamers for most of day five. That’s obviously going to slow things down,” said Stokes. He added that boundary-heavy games naturally take longer and insisted that maintaining high-quality cricket should be prioritised over strict timing rules.
Stokes also revealed that over-rates are not something he intentionally slows down. “It’s not something I worry about. But I do think there needs to be a proper look at how it’s structured. You want to keep the quality of cricket as high as possible.”
In a separate discussion, Stokes credited former All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka for helping shape the current team culture. Enoka, who joined the England setup recently, has had a positive influence, according to the England skipper. “He’s been able to put into words what me and Baz [Brendon McCullum] want to do better than we could ourselves,” said Stokes. “We’re very similar to the All Blacks in terms of mindset, culture, and training standards. Having someone with Gilbert’s success and experience is a big boost.”
Meanwhile, Stokes backed Liam Dawson’s return to the Test side following Jack Leach’s omission and Shoaib Bashir’s injury. Dawson, 35, last played a Test match in 2017 but has been in strong form for Hampshire and recently earned a white-ball recall. “He’s earned this opportunity. He’s been performing really well for Hampshire and around the world in different leagues,” said Stokes.
He also highlighted Dawson’s competitiveness and depth. “He gives you so much with the ball, but also having someone like him down the order is a big bonus. Hopefully, we don’t rely on his batting at number eight or nine, but he brings balance to the team.”
Stokes said Dawson’s return could also be a motivating signal for other experienced players. “If you get called back into a squad after a while, regardless of age, it shows it’s not the end of the road. He’s got a great chance to show his skills again.”