The International Cricket Council’s Chief Executives’ Committee on Friday (June 23) approved the Cricket Committee’s recommended adoption of the majority of the recent changes to the Laws of the game. Below are the new ICC playing conditions that will come into place from October 1:
Decision Review System:
One of the major recommendations, that has now been approved, is the Laws governing the Decision Review System. Henceforth, teams won’t lose a review in the event of an LBW review being adjudged as umpire’s call. As a result, the ‘top-up’ that teams receive after 80 overs in Test cricket will be discontinued.
The usage of DRS in Twenty20 Internationals has also been approved by the committee.
It has also been agreed that minimum standards will be followed for the DRS in international cricket. This includes mandatory use of ball-tracking and edge detection technology.
Regulating on bat-thickness and edge-thickness:
Limits will be placed on the thickness of the edges and the overall depth of the bat. The bat limits have been set at 108mm in width, 67mm in depth and 40mm with regard to the edge.
“Many of the top players’ bats have edges of between 38 and 42mm but there are some which have edges up to 50 mm,” the MCC had earlier said.
Run-out rule change:
The batsman will be adjudged not out once the bat is in the crease and grounded, even if it is subsequently lifted up in the air. This means that players will be ruled not out if the stumps are broken if the bat bounces after it has been grounded first time around.
Sending off in cricket:
Sending offs, as in football (red cards), was recommended only in cases of physical violence, that include threatening an umpire, physical assault of umpire, player or spectator or any other case of physical violence. This is done with an intention to make the lower-grades of cricket a lot more disciplined. Once the player is sent off, he/she would take no further part in the entire game, whether it is a multi-day game or single-day.
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