What To Do About Test Cricket's Slow Play Problem?

It has go an unwanted communicative of England's bid against India.

Slow over-rates. A taxable often discussed but that ne'er goes away.

Just 72.3 overs were bowled connected time 2 of nan 3rd Test astatine Lord's.

That means, including nan basal clip taken for a alteration of innings, 15 overs were mislaid from nan lucifer not because of rainfall aliases bad ray but because of nan slowness of play.

The stoppages are undoubtedly a mediocre look for nan athletics but what has changed, what are nan rules, does it matter and what tin beryllium done?

In a five-day Test, 90 overs are scheduled for each day.

To forestall teams tactically wasting clip to guarantee a tie each of nan overs must beryllium bowled connected nan 5th time barring interruptions for nan upwind but, connected nan erstwhile days, nan overs must beryllium fitted into nan six hours of play, pinch an other half an hr made disposable astatine nan extremity of nan day.

While clip tin beryllium made up for overs mislaid to nan weather, location is nary specified proviso erstwhile nan logic is simply slow play. If overs are not bowled successful that clip they are mislaid from nan match.

There are immoderate penalties already successful spot successful nan International Cricket Council's playing conditions but they person constricted impact.

An umpire can, aft an first warning, grant 5 punishment runs to an guidance if 1 squad is deemed to beryllium wasting time. This norm has ne'er been enforced successful Test cricket.

A extremity timepiece was besides introduced past period wherever a timer counts down from 60 seconds betwixt overs. Again, 5 punishment runs tin beryllium awarded present but, contempt warnings during nan first 2 Tests, neither skipper was punished.

More communal are fines against captains and, successful nan World Test Championship (WTC) convention phase, points deductions.

At nan extremity of a WTC lucifer various caveats are taken into accounts, specified arsenic injuries and umpire reviews, and a calculation is made arsenic to really acold down nan required over-rate a squad was.

The regulations state: "A squad will person 1 constituent deducted from its points full for each punishment complete it incurs."

England were docked 22 points during nan 2023-25 cycle. Captain Ben Stokes has pointed retired his squad are astatine a disadvantage because gait bowlers, pinch their longer run-ups, vessel much overs successful nan UK than different countries wherever rotation plays a greater part.

The over-rate statement is not new.

The number of overs bowled per hr has dropped steadily passim nan history of Test cricket, successful portion down to developments successful nan crippled specified arsenic umpire reviews, bound checks, concussion protocol and TV advert breaks.

Prior to World War Two nan mean complete complaint was astir 21 per hour. That dropped to 18 betwixt 1945 and 1974, 14.3 from 1975 to 1999 and 14 since 2000.

Things person taken a further move successful this series. The over-rate crossed nan first 2 Tests was 13.3 per hr pinch 39 overs mislaid successful nan first Test and 19 successful nan second.

A awesome facet has been nan ball. Both teams person many times asked for nan shot to beryllium changed because it has gone soft and retired of shape. This has led to delays to let umpires to cheque nan style and perchance switch nan ball.

There person been different lengthy breaks too.

On time 2 astatine Lord's nan first drinks break lasted astir six minutes and 20 seconds, alternatively than nan modular four.

Given nan precocious temperatures successful London, location person been regular unscheduled drinks breaks and pauses for batters to alteration their gloves.

There person been a number of breaks for insignificant wounded curen too.

Both England batter Joe Root and India bowler Jasprit Bumrah were asked astir nan rumor aft nan 2nd day's play.

Root suggested teams should only beryllium allowed 3 attempts to alteration nan shot per innings to prevention immoderate time.

"I don't want to get myself successful problem by trying to rewrite nan point but that's 1 measurement of policing nan shot thing," Root said.

"In position of complete rates, it tin beryllium rather difficult connected a time for illustration today.

"We're not utilized to this, are we? Thirty [degrees] successful England feels for illustration 45 elsewhere. But I conjecture conscionable effort and support connected apical of it arsenic overmuch arsenic you can."

A constituent of statement is whether rushing done nan overs would diminish nan value of play. Although clip was lost, Friday's play was action-packed.

There are besides less draws successful Tests now than ever before, meaning a consequence is still recovered contempt nan overs lost.

"It's basking retired there," said Bumrah. "It's reliable connected nan bowlers.

"Sometimes you person to return your clip because you don't want your value to beryllium compromised. You don't want to beryllium excessively rushed."

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan:

When it gets to nan 5th time you person to vessel nan 90 overs. I person nary thought why connected days one, two, three, aliases 4 we spot nan crippled played astatine a snail's pace.

On time 5 erstwhile nan players and umpires cognize 90 person to beryllium bowled they are moving around, location won't beryllium arsenic galore unofficial drinks breaks.

I would make it simple. You person to vessel 90 overs successful a time sloppy of nan time.

BBC main cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew:

I person spent 30 years banging connected astir over-rates. On nan look of it is it boring but it is really really important because it is conscionable a unspeakable look.

You cannot person up to 15 overs not being bowled. It is wholly unacceptable.

It is for illustration going to nan cinema, watching Pearl and Dean and past nan lights spell connected and you are kicked out. Fines don't work.

Now teams person clip allowed for breaks but they should beryllium penalised connected that. There should beryllium a extremity timepiece for drinks breaks. Every clip personification comes connected to nan section to bring gloves aliases drinks connected a timepiece should commencement and that counts against that team.

Then you person to enforce punishment runs. It is nan only rate players understand.

Test Match Special statistician Andy Zaltzman:

The wide play successful Test cricket is really bully but surely it would beryllium improved by having much of it per day.

There is simply a timepiece betwixt overs now and nan only problem is players wholly disregard it.

You request an in-game punishment of runs against nan batting aliases bowling broadside if they are evidently wasting time, possibly pinch a greenish aliases yellowish paper informing system.

Former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook:

The rumor has been going connected for years.

I americium not blaming nan players. It is clip for nan ICC and nan umpires to measurement in. The velocity of play is their responsibility. Drinks breaks request to beryllium shorter.

As players you will ever push nan boundaries. A 10:30 commencement would let different half an hr but would conscionable adhd to nan wide issue.

As a skipper nan past point you are worried astir is nan velocity of play. You are alert of it because you get fined but nan crippled is acold much important for you. It is astir winning that moment.

BBC cricket commentator Simon Mann:

We request a due punishment to ore players' minds. You could person a tally punishment but it is simply a small artificial.

I would cipher really galore overs nan batting aliases bowling broadside is down - it is not conscionable nan bowling broadside that wastes clip - and adjacent clip they vessel return a fielder disconnected for two, 3 aliases 5 overs.

Former England bowler Steven Finn:

A tally punishment would beryllium amended than a monetary fine. The problem is location are rather a batch of things that aren't nan responsibility of nan bowling squad astatine each - gloves changed excessively frequently, curen for insignificant injuries.

It is much analyzable than simply punishing nan bowling squad and I wouldn't want nan value of cricket to beryllium diminished by rushing done excessively much.

BBC cricket presenter and commentator Isa Guha:

Slow over-rates person been a problem for a agelong clip successful Test cricket and I consciousness sorry for nan spectators who salary bully money and consciousness for illustration they are missing retired connected action they person paid for.

We tin beryllium a spot much elastic pinch nan hours of play and commencement half an hr earlier nan pursuing time to complete overs mislaid nan erstwhile day. We are each present arsenic broadcasters and it would beryllium straightforward to pass that to nan spectators. That would beryllium my solution.