Video courtesy of: ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) have confirmed that a number of changes in the playing conditions will come into effect from September 28.
The major changes include umpires being allowed to send players off for unruly behaviour, the restriction of bat sizes and the Decision Review System (DRS).
According to press release on the ICC website, players can be sent off if committing a Level 4 offence, which includes “threatening to assault an umpire, making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with an umpire, physically assaulting a player or any other person and committing any other act of violence”.
Meanwhile, the DRS will now be implemented in Twenty20 Internationals and teams will not lose reviews if the result of a decision is umpire’s call. As a result of this, teams will no longer have their reviews restored after 80 overs during a Test match.
In regards to the sizes of bats, the ICC has made it clear that the edges of all bats can’t be bigger than 40mm, while the overall depth can be a maximum of 67mm. In order to ensure this change is carried out, umpires will have access to a bat gauge to check whether a bat is legal is use.
Elsewhere, a batsman can no longer be run out or stumped if their bat goes in the air after they have grounded it beyond the crease.
The ICC also confirmed that batsmen can now be caught, run out or stumped if the ball hits the helmet of a fielder or wicketkeeper.
Finally, fielders that take catches on the boundary while airborne will have to ensure their first point of contact with the ball is within the boundary. If this does not happen, a boundary will be awarded to the batsman.
“Most of the changes to the ICC playing conditions are being made as a result of changes to the Laws of Cricket that have been announced by the MCC,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s General Manager – Cricket, said. “We have just completed a workshop with the umpires to ensure they understand all of the changes and we are now ready to introduce the new playing conditions to international matches.”
The new playing conditions will take effect during the Test series between South Africa and Bangladesh, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka.