The International Cricket Council (ICC) will introduce new playing conditions next month, including a return to using a single ball in One Day Internationals (ODIs). In a message to members, the ICC said the updated Playing Conditions will take effect in June for Tests and July for limited-overs matches.
Key changes include updates to concussion substitute rules, minor adjustments to boundary catches and DRS, and the ICC’s plan to phase out using two balls in ODIs. Currently, two new balls are used at the start of each innings, but under the new rules, only one ball will be used by the end. This change was first reported by Cricbuzz on May 30.
“There will be two new balls for overs 1 to 34. After over 34 and before over 35 starts, the fielding team will choose one ball to use for overs 35 to 50. The chosen ball will be used at both ends for the rest of the match (unless it needs replacing),” the ICC informed members.
In matches reduced to 25 overs or less per side before the first innings, each team will have only one new ball for its innings. The ICC mentioned that certain current playing conditions will stay the same. It further clarified:
“If a ball needs to be replaced at any point during an innings, it must be substituted with one in a similar condition. Additionally, the ball that was not used during overs 35 to 50 of the innings will be included in the pool of available replacement balls.”
ICC Updates Concussion Rules: Teams to Name Five Designated Substitutes Before Match
The concussion rules will also see a few updates. Teams must now provide the match referee with a list of five designated concussion substitutes before the match begins. This list should include one wicketkeeper, one batsman, one fast bowler, one spinner, and one all-rounder.
“Under an exceptional and rare circumstance,” the ICC said, “whereby a replacement concussion player gets concussed and needs to be replaced, the match referee will deal with the situation and consider a replacement outside of the five nominated replacement players. The existing like-for-like protocols will apply in this situation.”
The ICC stated that details on updated boundary catch and DRS rules will be announced later. Current rules will remain for the World Test Championship final starting June 11 at Lord’s between Australia and South Africa. The new Playing Conditions will take effect from the next WTC cycle, beginning with the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on June 17 in Galle.
Updates to white-ball formats will start in the same series, with new ODI rules from July 2 and T20I rules from July 10 in Colombo. Though a working group was expected to review the changes, the Chief Executives Committee has already approved them. A new group will soon decide the Under-19 World Cup format before the ICC Annual Conference in Singapore from July 17 to 20.
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