ICC
The ICC headquarters. Photo: AFP

The ICC has announced a number of modifications to the Playing Conditions, all of which will take effect on October 1 2022. 

In the MCC’s revised 3rd Edition of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the Men’s Cricket Committee, chaired by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, made recommendations for improvements to the Playing Conditions. 

The Women’s Cricket Committee also received the findings and approved the suggestions. 

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia next month will be the first tournament to implement the revised Playing Conditions, which will go into effect on October 1, 2022. 

T20 World Cup 2022 trohpy
T20 World Cup 2022 trophy (Credits: Twitter)

Multiple Changes Made By ICC

Batters returning when caught: Whether or whether the batters crossed before the catch was made, when a batter is out Caught, the next batter enters where the end the striker was. 

Previously, if the batters crossed before a catch was made, the next batter would be at the non-end striker’s and the non-striker would take the next ball. 

Use of saliva to polish the ball: It is thought suitable for the restriction to be made permanent given it has been in effect in international cricket for more than two years as a temporary Covid-related precaution. 

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The COVID-19 epidemic had made it necessary to enforce the prohibition on viral transmission on the field. When cricket returned after a hiatus in July 2020, the rule was in effect; it will now become a permanent norm. When saliva was prohibited, the players turned to sweat, which worked well to shine the ball. 

Amit Mishra
Umpire warned Amit Mishra and sanitized the ball after the bowler applied saliva on it. (Photo: Twitter/Screengrab)

Incoming batter ready to face the ball: In Tests and ODIs, an incoming batter must now be prepared to take a strike within two minutes; in T20 Internationals, the current time limit of 90 seconds applies. 

In ODIs and Tests, the entering batter now gets two minutes to take a strike, down from three. If they don’t, the fielding captain may request a timeout. 

Striker’s right to play the ball: This is limited to make it necessary for their person or a portion of their bat to stay on the playing surface. If they go past there, the umpire will indicate and call Dead ball. Any ball that forces the batter off the field can be referred to as a no ball. 

Unfair movement by the fielding side: Now, in addition to calling dead ball, any unfair or intentional movement made when the bowler is going in to bowl might result in the umpire assigning the batting side five penalty runs. 

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Running out of the non-striker: The Playing Conditions move this way of causing a Run out from the “Unfair Play” section to the “Run out” section in accordance with the Laws.

Running out a non-striker for excessive backing will no longer be seen as unfair play; rather, it will be treated like any other run-out. 

R Ashwin Mankads Jos Buttler
R Ashwin Mankads Jos Buttler (Image Credit: Twitter)

Bowler throwing towards striker’s end before delivery: Before, a bowler might toss the ball to try to run out the striker if they noticed the batter moving toward the wicket as they started their delivery stride. This exercise will henceforth be known as a Dead ball. 

Other major decisions: After the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League concludes in 2023, the in-game penalty that was first implemented in T20Is in January 2022 (wherein the failure of a fielding team to bowl their overs by the scheduled cessation time results in an additional fielder having to be brought inside the fielding circle for the remaining overs of the innings) will also be used in ODI matches. 

As a result of teams continuing to maintain a sluggish over rate, the regulation has already been put into place. A recent example of teams struggling, in particular, was the second match of the 2022 Asia Cup between India and Pakistan. 

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Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly (Image Credit: Twitter)

Ganguly commended each member of the ICC Cricket Committee for their contributions to the suggestions. 

“It was an honour chairing my first meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee,” he said.  

“I was pleased with the productive contribution of the Committee members which resulted in key recommendations being made.  

“I thank all members for their valuable input and suggestions.” 

The ICC Cricket Committee: Sourav Ganguly (Chair); Ramiz Raja (Observer); Mahela Jayawardena and Roger Harper (Past Players); Daniel Vettori and VVS Laxman (Representatives of Current Players); Gary Stead (Member Team Coach Representative); Jay Shah (Full Members’ Representative); Joel Wilson (Umpires’ Representative); Ranjan Madugalle (ICC Chief Referee); Jamie Cox (MCC Representative); Kyle Coetzer (Associate Representative); Shaun Pollock (Media Representative); Greg Barclay and Geoff Allardice (Ex Officio – ICC Chair and Chief Executive); Clive Hitchcock (Committee Secretary); David Kendix (Statistician). 

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