(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
England Lose 12 WTC Points After ICC Over-Rate Penalty

England have been docked 12 points in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings and fined 50 percent of their match fees following a slow over-rate during the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.

According to ICC regulations, teams lose one WTC point for every over they are short of the required target after allowances are taken into account. Match officials determined that England were 12 overs behind the required rate, resulting in the 12-point deduction.

The penalty significantly impacts England’s position in the WTC table, effectively canceling out the points they earned from their victory in the first Test of the series, where a win awarded 12 championship points.

In addition to the points deduction, England received the maximum financial penalty permitted under the ICC Code of Conduct. Players were fined 50 percent of their match fees after the team was found to be 12 overs short.

The charge was reported by the match officials, and stand-in captain Joe Root accepted responsibility for the offense. As a result, no formal disciplinary hearing was required. The sanction was subsequently confirmed by match referee Andy Pycroft.

England were defeated by New Zealand by 253 runs in the second Test, allowing the visitors to level the three-match series at 1-1. The decisive final Test is scheduled to begin at Trent Bridge on June 25.

Following the deduction, England are seventh in the World Test Championship standings with 38 points from 12 matches and a points percentage of 26.39.

This marks the second over-rate penalty for England in the current WTC cycle. The team was also penalized during a Test victory over India in 2025.

Slow over-rates have been a recurring issue for England in recent years, with the team losing multiple championship points during the previous World Test Championship cycle as well.