Dubai– The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a series of playing condition changes across all formats, aimed at improving game pace, player safety, and fairness. Key updates include the permanent implementation of a stop clock in Test cricket, new boundary catch rules, revised concussion protocols, and modifications to the wide-ball rule in white-ball formats.
In a move to address slow over rates in Test cricket, the ICC has made the stop clock—already trialed in limited-overs formats—a permanent fixture. Fielding teams must now start a new over within 60 seconds of completing the previous one. Teams will receive two warnings per innings for breaches, after which a five-run penalty will be enforced for each additional violation. The warning count will reset every 80 overs, coinciding with the new ball interval.
In One Day Internationals, the rule regarding dual new balls has been altered. Instead of using two balls for the full 50 overs, teams will now use both balls only for the first 34 overs. One of those will then be chosen for use in the final 16 overs.
Boundary catch regulations have also been tightened. Any fielder who makes airborne contact with the ball outside the boundary must re-enter the field of play and land entirely within it before completing a legal catch. If the player steps out and jumps again, they may only touch the ball once more before landing inside the boundary.
Concussion-related rules are being strengthened as well. Teams must now pre-nominate substitutes for players who suffer head injuries. Furthermore, any player diagnosed with a concussion must undergo a mandatory seven-day stand-down period before returning to competition.
To address challenges arising from batters moving laterally across the crease, a revised wide-ball rule will be trialed in white-ball cricket. Umpires will now judge wides based on the batter’s position at the point of delivery, rather than their original stance. A delivery passing between the leg stump and the newly-extended protected area marker at the popping crease will not be called a wide, even if it appears so after the batter moves.
In terms of technology, the Decision Review System (DRS) will now consider the actual physical outlines of the stumps and bails for LBW decisions, potentially increasing accuracy.
Additionally, a new penalty has been introduced for deliberate short runs: not only will the batting side lose five runs, but the fielding team will be allowed to choose which batter faces the next delivery.
In domestic first-class matches, teams will now be allowed to replace any player who suffers a serious injury at any point after the start of play—including during warm-ups—with a fully participating like-for-like substitute.
These new Test regulations were first applied in the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match on June 17. The updated rules for ODIs and T20Is will take effect during the same series, starting with the first ODI on July 2 and the T20I series on July 10. All international matches played after these dates will follow the revised playing conditions. (Source: IANS)
