International Cricket Council makes changes in the ongoing rules

The International Cricket Council is all set to make a tinker in the rules from 1st October 2017. On Friday (23rd June), ICC confirmed the set of change that will happen and will be put to practice in a few months time.

ICC has majorly put forward four sets in total. They are Decision review System (DRS) and Umpire’s call, Restriction on Bat sizes, Sending player off the field, and Run-Out Rule.

Decision Review System and Umpire’s Call

A term which came into limelight recently has helped many teams to change the scenario of the match. The system was first tested in the year 2008 and has been in the picture of cricket since then.

In decision review system, a team can ‘question’ umpire’s decision if they feel that the decision given by umpire isn’t correct. For reviewing the decision made by the ‘on-field umpire’ is checked by the ‘third umpire’ with the components such as, Hawk- Eye, Ultra-edge, Hot-spot, and Snickometer.

All four components are majorly used to review a leg before wicket decision.

While reviewing a decision, third umpire first checks the ‘no-ball’, that is, to see if the bowler has stepped over the line or not, if he hasn’t, umpire further checks the ‘Impact’ of the ball, to see where the ball has landed, if the ball is landed in the area defined, he further sees if the ball is hitting the stumps or not.

Earlier, if a team asks for a review, and impact or ball hitting the stumps says ‘Umpire’s Call’, the decision stands in favor of ‘on-field umpire’ and the team which asked for the review used to lose the review.

Now, if the decision stands as ‘Umpire’s call’, the team which has asked for it will not lose the review.

An addition to this, as per the current arrangements, in a test match, each team is allowed two unsuccessful reviews which gets ‘renewed’ at the end of 80 overs. However, this rule will be abolished from 1st October 2017.

Decision Review System was earlier not used in the shortest format of the game. However, it will be used in Twenty20 internationals as said by the committee of ICC.

Restriction on Bat Sizes

It has recently been seen that batsmen are having an unfair advantage over the bowlers by having different bat sizes. The width provides a batsman to hit the bowler all round the park and help his team to put up a mammoth total which causes an area of concern for International Cricket Council.

To reduce the gap between batsman and the bowler, ICC has now decided to limit the bat sizes to 108mm in width and 67 mm in depth with 40mm edges.

Sending Players off the field

Similar to what is used in football, Umpires will have the power to send a player ‘off the field’ for a serious incident of misconduct, such as, violence on the field. However, all the other issue will continue to be dealt under ICC code of conduct.

Run-Out rule change

If a batsman stretches his bat out and crosses the crease when stumps are broken, and if the bat is in the air and no body part is behind the crease, he is adjudged as run-out in the current scenario.

However, from 1^st October, even if the bat happens to be in the air, he will be adjudged in ‘safe zone’ and will be given ‘Not-Out’ as per the current changes.

In other words, the batsman will not be adjudged as if his bat is in the air (but behind) when the stumps are broken.