New rules to be in place from October 1
Umpires can now send off players while run out rule undergoes change
Batsmen’s lives will be a little easier to escape run out while umpires can now eject a cricketer for bad behaviour once the International Cricket Council (ICC) rule changes come into effect from October 1.
The ICC’s chief executive committee has approved the changes, recommended by the cricket committee led by Anil Kumble, in their annual conclave in London last week.
One of the major changes will be with the run out rule.
A batsman will be considered as having made his or her ground when a bat bounces after being grounded behind the crease by a running or diving batsman. The current rule states that the batsman is out if the bat is in the air when the stumps are disturbed.
Till now, umpires had no power to send off a player for poor behaviour but from now on, cricket umpires can send off a player.
Umpires can now eject cricketers from a game for serious disciplinary breaches such as threatening an umpire, physically assaulting another player, umpire, official or spectator and any other act of violence on the field.
The ICC has also approved recommendations relating to bat sizes to reduce undue advantage to batsmen. Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the laws of the game, formed the World Cricket Committee which included former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, former England captain Mike Brearley and they had suggested that the size of a bat’s edges and depths should be 108mm in width, 67mm in depth and 40mm at the edge. Some of the top players’ bats have edges of between 38mm and 42mm. From now on the recommendation of Ponting and Brearley will be implemented.
It was also decided that Decision Review System (DRS) be used in all T20 International games and that teams will not lose a review when an LBW review comes back as Umpire’s Call.
However, for Tests, the current rule allowing the top-up of reviews after 80 overs in Tests has been removed.
The committee also approved that the minimum standards for DRS use would include the mandatory use of accredited ball-tracking and edge detection technology.
The cricket committee that suggested the changes comprised of Kumble as Chairman, Clare Connor, Rahul Dravid, Adrian Griffiths, Mahela Jayawardene, David Kendix, Richard Kettleborough, Darren Lehman, Ranjan Madugalle, Tim May, Kevin O’Brien, Shaun Pollock, John Stephenson, Andrew Strauss and David White.