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England have had their over-rates penalty from Brisbane increased from five to eight World Test Championship points, leaving them in even more pain.

England's horror start to the Ashes has gone from bad to worse after having more World Test Championship points docked for slow over rates.

The tourists were initially penalised five points for being well behind the over rate in the first Test at the Gabba, as well as being fined all of their match fees.

But the ICC added further penalty to that on Saturday, upping the penalty to eight points in line with the eight overs they were behind rather than the five initially announced.

"Players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, up to a maximum fine of 100 per cent of the match fee," the ICC said in a statement.

"England were eight overs short (not five overs short as previously announced) but were only fined 100 per cent of their match fee due to the limit.

"However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short."

England have also previously been penalised two points for slow over rates during their home summer against India.

It means the team has now been penalised 10 points throughout the Championship, a considerable amount when considered wins are only worth 12.

Over rates proved crucial in the last Test Championship window, with Australia missing the final in the last tournament due to a four-point penalty from last summer.

England's slow over rates were again a feature on the opening day of the Adelaide Test, with the scoreboard showing they were one over behind.

Whether they will be penalised depends on if enough concessions are given for outside influences.

Assistant coach Graeme Thorpe tried to play down the issue, claiming there were "bigger things going on in the world".

But Shane Warne has been among those to call for bigger penalties while sitting on ICC committees, including banning offending captains.

"I sit on the World Cricket Committee and often talk about the over-rate issue and what's the appropriate fine," he said on Fox Cricket.

"A lot of us on that committee have talked about not having a fine for over-rates, but the captain misses the next game.

"If the captain doesn't play the next Test if you don't bowl your overs in time, you watch them get through the overs."