The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved changes to the two-ball rule in ODIs and the concussion-substitute protocol across all three formats of the game in men’s international cricket.
These new playing conditions, suggested by the ICC men’s cricket committee and approved by the chief executives committee, will begin on June 17 for Tests, July 2 for ODIs, and July 10 for T20Is.
These changes were proposed by the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee and approved by the Chief Executives Committee. The new rules will take effect on June 17 for Test matches, July 2 for ODIs, and July 10 for T20Is. The upcoming Sri Lanka-Bangladesh series will be played under new rules.
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What’s the two-ball rule in ODIs and the new changes?
So far, two new balls were used per inning in men’s ODIs—one from each end. This has often led to criticism, especially from bowlers, as it gives batters an advantage on flat pitches with less ball wear and tear. However, two new balls will still be used at the start of an innings, but with some twists.
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Under the new rule, two new balls will be used from the beginning of the innings until the end of the 34th over. Then, from the 35th over to the 50th over, the bowling team must pick one of those two balls and use it from both ends, which means there will be only one ball in play from overs 35 to 50.
Also, if the ODI matches are reduced to 25 overs or less before the first innings begins, the bowling side will be given only one new ball for the entire innings.
The ICC said this change is designed to “readdress the balance between bat and ball,” allowing the ball to age more and assist bowlers in the final overs, potentially bringing reverse swing and more wear into play in the 50-over format of the game.
ICC introduces new concussion rules
Meanwhile, according to the new concussion protocols approved by the International Cricket Council, teams must now submit a list of five substitute players to the match referee before the start of the match in all international matches.
The ICC has made this change to ensure that if a player suffers a concussion during the game, a like-for-like replacement is readily available and to maintain balance and fairness in the game.
These substitutes must cover all key roles in the team, and they are one wicketkeeper, one specialist batter, one fast bowler, one spin bowler, and one all-rounder.
Well, if a substitute player also gets a concussion and needs to be replaced, the match referee can allow a replacement from outside the original five named substitutes, but must also apply a like-for-like rule.
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ICC bans bunny hop trick!!
Earlier this year, India replaced batting all-rounder Shivam Dube with bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute during the fourth T20I against England, which sparked controversy.
Now, with teams required to name substitute players for specific roles before the match, such situations can be avoided in the future.
Additionally, the rules for catches near the boundary have been slightly changed. The MCC has now banned the “bunny hop” trick, where a fielder jumps from outside the boundary to complete a clean catch. With this move, the ICC wants to keep the game fair and simple.
