ICC changes playing conditions, puts five-run cost on repeated delays

Batters repeatedly wasting time will cost their teams five runs, pink balls can be used in daytime Test matches and fielders must have complete control of the ball while effecting run-outs or stumpings under a series of changes to international cricket’s playing conditions announced by the International Cricket Council on Thursday.

The revised regulations came into effect on October 1 and will apply to international series beginning on or after that date. Series already underway will continue under the previous playing conditions, meaning the ongoing India-West Indies ODI series, which began on September 27, will not switch to the new regulations midway through the contest.

The changes cover men’s and women’s cricket across formats and incorporate amendments to the MCC Laws of Cricket that also took effect on October 1. ICC Men’s Cricket Committee chairman Sourav Ganguly said the revisions were intended to provide greater clarity, improve the pace of matches and ensure consistency in the modern game.

Batters face five-run penalty

One of the most significant changes concerns time-wasting by batters. Under the revised men's playing conditions, a batter who is not ready to face a delivery within the prescribed time will receive a warning for the first offence.

A second offence will result in a final warning. From the third offence onwards, five penalty runs will be awarded to the fielding team for each violation.

Repeated breaches can also lead to action under the ICC Code of Conduct. The change gives umpires a clearer escalating system for dealing with deliberate or repeated attempts by batters to slow down proceedings.

The move complements measures already introduced to address slow play by fielding teams, including the stop clock. The ICC has increasingly sought to reduce avoidable delays across formats without substantially altering scheduled playing time.

Pink ball allowed in daytime Tests

In another significant change, the ICC has introduced a trial permitting pink balls to be used in Test matches played during the day.

Until now, pink balls have been principally associated with day-night Tests because of their greater visibility under artificial lights. Under the revised provision, teams can agree before a Test to use a pink ball even when the match is scheduled entirely during daytime hours.

The measure is intended primarily to reduce playing time lost because of poor light. The pink ball is considered easier to see than the traditional red ball when natural light deteriorates.

There are, however, strict conditions. Both teams must agree to its use before the Test begins and, once the decision has been made, the pink ball must be used throughout the match. Teams cannot begin with a red ball and switch to pink during the Test.

Women's cricket gets separate ball specifications

The ICC has also tightened specifications governing the size and weight of balls used in women's cricket.

Previously, manufacturers frequently produced a single specification of ball for women's and junior cricket. The revised regulations establish three distinct sets of size and weight specifications for men's, women's and junior cricket.

The change is designed to ensure greater consistency in balls supplied for women's international matches and reduce manufacturing variations.

Men's cricket already operated with relatively narrow tolerances governing ball dimensions and weight. Women's cricket will now have similarly defined limits specifically suited to the format rather than sharing manufacturing specifications with junior cricket.

Overthrow rule clarified

The definition of an overthrow has also been tightened.

Under the revised playing conditions, an overthrow occurs only when a fielder deliberately attempts to direct the ball towards the stumps to prevent a run or attempt a run-out and additional runs subsequently result.

An ordinary misfield will not automatically be treated as an overthrow. Attempts by fielders to stop the ball or pass it between teammates are similarly distinguished from genuine throws directed towards the wicket.

The clarification is important because overthrow rules determine how runs are calculated in unusual fielding situations and have previously generated debate over whether particular deflections or misfields should fall within the definition.

Complete control needed for run-outs

The ICC has also clarified what constitutes a fielder “holding” the ball when breaking the wicket for a run-out or stumping.

A fielder must now have complete control of the ball. Simply touching or pressing the ball against the stumps while the wicket is broken will not necessarily establish possession.

The distinction could become significant in close television referrals where a wicketkeeper or fielder breaks the stumps while attempting to gather the ball simultaneously.

Umpires will therefore need to establish that the fielder had control of the ball when the wicket was put down rather than relying merely on physical contact between hand, ball and stumps.

Umpires get greater discretion

Another amendment gives umpires greater flexibility in deciding when the ball has “finally settled”.

Previously, determining when play had effectively ended could depend heavily on whether the ball had reached the hands of the bowler or wicketkeeper. The revised interpretation allows umpires greater discretion based on the circumstances of the play.

The change could be particularly important on the final delivery of a close match, when batters may attempt additional runs while fielders believe the ball has already become dead.

By widening the definition, the ICC aims to allow umpires to judge whether meaningful play has ended rather than applying an overly rigid interpretation based on the ball's location.

Wicket will not automatically end day's play

Test cricket will also see a change to what happens when a wicket falls during the final over of a day's play.

Previously, a wicket late in the final scheduled over could effectively bring proceedings to an end even if deliveries remained in that over. Under the revised regulation, the remaining balls must be completed if playing conditions and available time permit.

The ICC's reasoning is that ending play immediately after a wicket does not actually save time because the remaining deliveries have to be completed the following morning.

The change also gives the bowling side an immediate opportunity to attack the incoming batter rather than allowing the new player to begin the following day after an overnight break.

T20I interval fixed at 15 minutes

T20 internationals will now have a standard innings interval of 15 minutes.

Where playing time has been lost, officials can reduce the interval, but it cannot ordinarily be shortened below 10 minutes. The provision provides greater consistency over the length of breaks between innings.

The ODI and T20I regulations have also been aligned to permit the head coach, or a designated representative, to enter the field during drinks intervals.

The leg-side wide trial introduced earlier has also been incorporated permanently into white-ball playing conditions. The interpretation is designed to account for batters moving around the crease and prevent bowlers from being unfairly penalised when a delivery would have been legitimate based on the batter's position at the point of delivery.

New rules apply from October 1

The key distinction for teams and viewers is that the regulations apply according to when a series begins rather than simply the date on which an individual match is played.

An international series that started before October 1 will therefore continue under the old playing conditions until its completion. A series beginning on or after October 1 will operate under the revised rules.

The upcoming World Test Championship series between Australia and South Africa will be among the competitions governed by the new regulations.

For players and umpires, the most immediately visible changes are likely to be the escalating sanctions against time-wasting, the altered interpretation of certain fielding situations and, where teams agree, the appearance of a pink ball in a Test that is played entirely during daylight hours.