I do wonder if this is the test match which finally leads to the ICC properly clamping down on time-wasting. The amount which the umpires have let both sides get away with this test match has been appalling. I've never been someone who insists that 90 overs must be bowled every day without exception. The quality of cricket is more important. If I've spent the day in the stands, watching a great day of cricket, I'm not going to care if a few overs have been lost - in fact, I probably wouldn't even know if it wasn't for the media pointing it out at every opportunity. But there's a difference between a few lost overs over the course of the day, and constant breaks in play. Stop, start, stop, start. Break here, break there. Crawley was perfectly entitled to do what he did to waste time, because so many others (Pant especially) have also wasted time in this test. The current penalties of deducting world championship points, and handing out the odd post-match fine, don't solve the issue.
I quite like George Dobell's idea. Work out the percentage of overs that aren't bowled and refund the spectators that amount of their ticket price. Once the ECB, BCCI etc start getting hit in the pocket the problem would soon go away.
I feel like this is a massive innings for Crawley. We have been extremely patient with him but I think they may take a look at someone else soon with a view to having them in place for the Ashes. I'm not sure how many more chances he has left.
