ICC To Abolish Soft Signal Rule In International Matches, Beginning With The World Test Championship Final Between India And Australia
Published - 15 May 2023, 02:28 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM
The International Cricket Committee (ICC) reportedly decided to scrap the soft-signal rule from the game in international matches. It will be implemented in the international cricket tournament starting with the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be played between India and Australia in London starting on June 7.
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) abolished the soft signal rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2021 after former Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s plea to remove it. The on-field umpire used to provide his initial on-field decision to the third umpire before going for the check of the dismissal.
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According to a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC’s cricket committee, led by Sourav Ganguly, has approved the change. The ICC informed the two WTC finalists, India and Australia, about the particular change in the playing conditions. The flood lights can be turned on during the game if there is insufficient natural light.
The soft signal rule has been under heavy scrutiny due to its impact in recent matches. England Test captain Ben Stokes expressed disappointment with the soft signal after a controversial decision by Marnus Labuschagne during an Australia-South Africa Test earlier this year.
“ICC should get rid of the soft signal and let the 3rd umpire who has all the technology make the decision when the on-field umpires send it upstairs, all the controversy is always around the soft signal given. This isn’t a comment on the decision FYI (sic),” Ben Stokes said.
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Meanwhile, the England cricket team benefited from the soft signal during the Test match in Pakistan. Saud Shakeel was given out by the on-field umpire, and the third umpire decided not to overturn the decision with inconclusive evidence. Shakeel’s dismissal triggered their collapse, and they eventually lost the match by 26 runs.
“The Shakeel dismissal cost us. It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said following the match.
According to ICC rules, a “Soft Signal is the visual communication by the bowler’s end umpire to the third umpire (accompanied by additional information via two-way radio where necessary) of his/her initial on-field decision prior to initiating an Umpire Review.”
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