The playing conditions now restrict the size of the edges of the bats as well as their thickness
Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced a number of changes to its playing conditions which will be effective in all series starting 28 September or later, the first being Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The significant changes include a restriction on dimensions of the bat, the introduction of player send-offs for misconduct and changes to the Decision Review System (DRS).
The ICC playing conditions will now incorporate the relevant clauses from the MCC Laws of Cricket (2017 Code), meaning that all the playing regulations will be captured in one document for each format, the media release wrote.
“Most of the changes to the ICC playing conditions are being made as a result of changes to the Laws of Cricket that have been announced by the MCC. We have just completed a workshop with the umpires to ensure they understand all of the changes and we are now ready to introduce the new playing conditions to international matches,” ICC General Manager – Cricket Geoff Allardice.
The report added that to maintain the balance between bat and ball, the playing conditions now restrict the size of the edges of the bats as well as their thickness. Umpires will be issued with a new bat gauge, which they can use to check a bat’s legality.
In a new playing condition pertaining to players’ conduct, a player can now be sent off the field for the rest of the match for any serious misconduct, meaning it will apply to Level 4 offences while the Level 1 to 3 offences will continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct, the ICC announced.
Threatening to assault an umpire, making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with an umpire, physically assaulting a player or any other person and committing any other act of violence all constitute Level 4 offences.
As to the change in Decision Review System (DRS) rules, a review will not be lost in case of a decision remains unchanged, as the result of an ‘umpire’s call’.
Other changes have also been introduced to run outs and catches on the boundary.
The changes will be implemented from the two upcoming Test series – when South Africa hosts Bangladesh and the one between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.
