London, July 16, 2025 — Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has weighed in on England’s recent two-point penalty in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), advising the team to focus on winning matches rather than dwelling on the setback. The deduction followed England’s thrilling 22-run victory over India at Lord’s, where the team was found guilty of maintaining a slow over rate.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday that England had been fined 10% of their match fee and docked two WTC points, reducing their tally from 24 to 22 points and dropping their percentage from 66.67% to 61.11%. As a result, England slipped from second to third place in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka moving up behind leaders Australia.
Speaking in a video posted by the ICC, Shastri referenced a similar incident from the 2019–21 WTC cycle, when Australia missed the final due to a slow over rate penalty. “It hurts, as Australia found out in the first cycle. They had a slow over rate against India and it cost them second place. New Zealand qualified instead,” he said.
Shastri emphasized that England still has ample time to recover. “If you focus on winning, then come the last six months, you can probably try and adjust, see how you can get those two points back. But you’ve got to win—that’s more important,” he added.
The penalty has sparked debate, with former England captain Michael Vaughan questioning the ICC’s decision to penalize only one team despite both sides reportedly falling short on over rates.
England will have a chance to bounce back in the fourth Test against India, scheduled to begin on July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester. The team has added spinner Liam Dawson to the squad as a replacement for Shoaib Bashir, aiming to strengthen its bowling attack.
With the WTC cycle still in its early stages, Shastri’s remarks serve as a reminder that consistent victories can offset early missteps—provided teams remain vigilant about ICC regulations.
