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Former England skipper Nasser Hussain criticised the slow over rate in the third Test between India and England at Lord’s, calling out the excessive time-wasting that disrupted the game’s flow.

He urged umpires to take stricter action and enforce discipline to maintain both the pace and thrill of Test cricket.

Nasser Hussain on Slow Over Rate and Time-Wasting

Hussain expressed frustration over the constant delays, highlighting that even with extended time allowances, teams were falling short.

“They are supposed to bowl those overs by 6 p.m., but we are giving them an extra half an hour and they are still not getting through them. You can still have the pace and interesting cricket we are having, and still come down tough on time wasting. Some of the delays this week, and in general, are diabolical, and I think umpires need to come down strongly on players,” he said during a Sky Sports broadcast.

Stuart Broad Highlights Impact on Fans and Broadcasters

Stuart Broad supported Hussain’s remarks and added that the problem isn’t being addressed because umpires focus more on maintaining good relations with players than enforcing over rates.

“For the players, I don’t think it is a conversation. For umpires, I don’t think it is a conversation; they want strong relationships with the players. The ICC are not pushing the umpires to force it either – but it is a problem for broadcasters – seeing how slow the game is frustrates us, and it is a problem for the fans. The fans are missing out on overs,” Broad said.

He gave a specific example about the fan experience.

“To put a specific moment on that: if I had bought a day-one ticket for £150 and watched my favourite batter Joe Root bat all day and then missed out on that hundred moment, I am slightly annoyed by that. I wanted to clap him, give him appreciation. You want to see the action, and fans in the stadium are missing out on pretty cool moments,” he added.

Kumar Sangakkara Supports Quality Over Quantity in Test Cricket

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara took a slightly different stance. While he agreed that players should avoid aimless wandering on the field, he believed the quality of cricket mattered more than the total number of overs.

“I stand firmly in the camp that the cricket has been more entertaining than it has ever been because I like best vs best contests. That is why people pay the money to come and watch. I don’t watch Test cricket, thinking it has got to be 90 overs, or it is less of a product. Why do you need sub-standard bowlers to make up overs just because you are running out of time? I have one qualification in that it is ugly when people just meander around. That is a problem, but I am definitely quality over quantity,” Sangakkara said.

Tim Southee Defends England Amid Criticism Over Over Rate

With 32 overs lost across three days, England bowling coach Tim Southee acknowledged the issue but said several unavoidable factors contributed to the delays.

“It’s never ideal, I don’t think, but it’s obviously been hot, so there’s probably been more drinks than usual. There have been a number of stoppages with the ball also, and DRS takes its time. But yeah, to lose that much, it’s probably at the extreme level,” Southee said.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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