Australia's players have saved close to $230,000 in fines and had a boost to their next World Test Championship campaign after Usman Khawaja was involved in high-powered talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on over-rates.
Cricket's global bosses last week announced revised sanctions for tardy play, following a series of heavy punishments during an enthralling Ashes.
Australia's players had been set to be docked 40 per cent of their $18,000 match fee for slow play at Edgbaston, and 100 per cent at Lord's.
The team also stood to lose 13 Test Championship points for the two games, after being deemed two overs behind in the first Ashes Test and 11 in the second.
A win in the tournament is worth 12 points.
But under new rules passed by the ICC following meetings with Khawaja and others, those punishments will be drastically reduced.
Player fines have been decreased from 20 per cent to five per cent for each over they are behind.
If the batting team is bowled out in 80 overs or fewer the over rate does not come into play. That marker was previously 60 overs.
AAP has been told the changes mean Australia's penalties from Lord's will drop from 11 points to two, and the $18,000-per-player fine to $1800 each.
A reduction in the penalties from Edgbaston is also likely, given England were all out within 66.2 overs in their second innings
The savings for most players will be at least $21,000, and $231,000 combined, for the first two Tests.
Khawaja said he felt compelled to contact ICC General Manager Wasim Khan, having worked with him previously while playing in the Pakistan Super League.
"I just thought someone has to find a way to speak to the ICC about it," Khawaja said.
"We had played three games and they’d been three really good games with results, entertainment. And we were getting fined a lot of money.
"It's just really frustrating as a player, you are giving it your all out there, providing entertainment, then you are getting stung for it.
"Wasim took the feedback. It’s the first time (since) I’ve been involved that something like that has happened at the ICC. It's a really good step forward."
Australia missed 2021's inaugural World Test Championship final after taking a four-point over-rates penalty for the 2020 Boxing Day Test.
Australia's captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald, along with England officials, also contacted the ICC in connection with over rates.
Khawaja said there was a belief teams playing on wickets outside the subcontinent were more at risk of fines and points penalties, given the heavier reliance on pace bowlers.
"We are trying to go as fast as we can," Khawaja said.
"It’s the conditions that make it hard for us. If you are in India we are never behind the over-rate, two spinners going at it.
"We were getting results, that’s what was frustrating."
