ICC approves new playing conditions including stop clock for Tests, no ball change after use of saliva

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has authorized a number of modifications to playing conditions not too long ago for males’s worldwide cricket, including the Boundary Law and one-ball rule in ODIs from the thirty fifth over. While some of these guidelines have already come into pressure through the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27, the principles for white-ball codecs will come into impact from July 2 onwards.

ESPNCricinfo appears on the notable modifications launched throughout three codecs, having reviewed the playing conditions shared by the world cricket governing physique with its member our bodies not too long ago. –

Introduction of Stop Clock in Tests

A 12 months after the introduction of the rule in limited-overs cricket, the ICC has determined to convey it in red-ball cricket, the place slow-over-rates have been an enormous downside for years. As per the rule, the fielding aspect is meant to start out an over inside 60 seconds of the final one ending. Two warnings will likely be given on failure to take action, and one other failure would lead to a five-run penalty on the bowling staff. The warnings will likely be reset to zero after every block value 80 overs. The rule has come into impact through the ongoing 2025-27 WTC cycle.

For concussion protocols

In context of concussion protocols, the ICC mentioned there are two modifications.

Teams will now should nominate designated concussion replacements for each match, which is being introduced in to curb the house staff’s benefit of with the ability to choose from a bigger group of gamers.

The ICC additionally introduced a “minimum seven-day stand-down” interval for any participant recognized with concussion.

“A player diagnosed with a concussion during a match must observe a minimum stand-down period of a minimum of seven days before returning to play. This change has been recommended by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee to support players’ safety and well-being,” the ICC mentioned.

New wide-ball rule

The ICC mentioned two new guidelines will likely be trialled by full members for a interval of six months ranging from October 2025. It features a new wide-ball rule for ODIs and T20Is, and is being introduced in to supply a level of leniency to a bowler who sees batter transferring round “prior or during” a supply.

“The position of the batter’s legs at the point of delivery will now be used as the reference point for a wide, even if the batter subsequently moves across to the off side,” the ICC mentioned.

“The trial will see a ball that passes the popping crease between the leg stump and the protected area marker not being called a wide. To help with this, the protected area marker line will be extended to the popping crease and act as a guide for the umpires.” Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, the media consultant of ICC’s cricket committee, had informed PTI in January this 12 months that the governing physique is “working on something” to offer bowlers “a bit more leeway on wides.” “Any leg side delivery that passes behind the batter’s legs and outside of the line at the time the ball reaches the popping crease may still be called a wide. Previously, a wide had been called for a delivery that would not have been called wide if the batter had retained their normal batting position,” the ICC mentioned.

No obligatory ball change on deliberate utilization of saliva

While the saliva ban continues in worldwide cricket since COVID-19, the obligatory ball change by umpires in case of saliva being discovered on the ball is no longer obligatory. This change is made to stop groups from altering the balls by intentionally making use of saliva to them. Going ahead, the situation of the ball will assist in deciding if the ball is to be modified or not. If it seems too moist or these is extra shine. This determination has been utterly left to the umpires. If the ball begins doing issues after umpires saying that software of saliva has not modified its situation, it will not get replaced. The batting staff would, nonetheless, be given 5 penalty runs.

DRS protocol for secondary assessment after an out determination

Imagine a scenario when a batter has been given out caught behind, and he calls for a assessment. The UltraEdge exhibits the ball brushing the pads with none contact with the bat. With the catch dominated out, the TV umpire checks for second dismissal mode by way of ball monitoring, whether or not he’s lbw or not. So far, the protocol was, as soon as the batter was given ‘not out caught’, the default determination for the second mode of dismissal, lbw, could be not out. This means, if the ball monitoring led to an “umpire’s call” verdict, the batter would stay not out. But in now’s up to date rule, when the ball monitoring is displayed, the unique determination label on it will be studying “out” and if the assessment yields an umpire name, the batter could be dominated out.

Combined evaluations, choices will likely be chronological

If in case, there’s a participant assessment and an umpire assessment for separate modes of dismissal on the identical ball, “the incidents shall be addressed in chronological order”.

Earlier, the TV umpire used to evaluate the umpire evaluations earlier than transferring on to the assessment requested for by a participant. Now, the revised playing situation reads, “If the conclusion from the first incident is that a batter is dismissed, then the ball would be deemed to have become dead at that point, rendering investigation of the second incident unnecessary”.

So now, if there’s an attraction for lbw and run out, the TV umpire would first take up the lbw assessment because it occurred first. In case batter is out, then the ball could be declared useless and assessment for run out wouldn’t be executed. -Fairness of catch to be reviewed for no-ball

As per Wisden, the TV umpire will examine for the equity of a catch even after a no-ball from the bowler. Earlier, if no ball was signalled by the third umpire, the equity of the catch was not checked. But now, will probably be. If the catch is honest, the batting staff will get one further run for a no-ball, and whether it is unfair, the batting staff will get the runs taken by the batters.

Deliberate quick run

In case a batter has been caught taking a brief run, 5 runs are shaved off the batting staff’s complete. Now, as per up to date guidelines, if one of the batters doesn’t make their floor intentionally for the sake of stealing an additional run, the umpires would ask the fielding staff to resolve which batter they need to be on strike. The five-run penalty will proceed. “A deliberate short run is an attempt for batters to appear to run more than one run, while at least one batter deliberately does not make good their ground at one end,” Rule 18.5.1 of the playing conditions says. “Batters may choose to abort a run, provided the umpire believes that there was no intention by the batter concerned to deceive the umpires or to score the run in which they did not make their ground,” the rule added.

Full-time playing substitute in home first-class cricket

To compensate for the loss of a participant who has suffered a critical exterior damage, the ICC has requested that cricket boards trial a full-time substitute participant of their home first-class matches. This substitute participant will likely be like-for-like, much like a concussion substitute. The damage must be evident and visual for match officers earlier than a call is taken. It wouldn’t be relevant to hamstring pulls or niggles.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published – June 27, 2025 03:26 pm IST