Big changes are coming to cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved new rules. These rules were endorsed by the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee. They will be in effect starting June 17.
One of the changes is to the concussion substitute rule. Recently, there was controversy over this rule during the T20 series between India and England. Now, teams must provide a list of five potential concussion substitutes before the match. The replacement player must be like-for-like, meaning if a fast bowler is replaced, another fast bowler must come in.
This change comes after a incident during the India-England T20 series. Shivam Dube was replaced by Harshit Rana after suffering a concussion. England’s captain questioned the rule after the match, as Rana, a bowler, replaced Dube, an all-rounder who bats and bowls medium pace. Rana went on to take three wickets and help India win the match.
Another change is to the one-day international (ODI) format. Currently, two new balls are used from each end. Now, two balls will be used for the first 34 overs. After that, the team can choose which ball to use for the remaining overs. If the match is reduced to 25 overs or less due to rain, only one ball will be used.
These new rules will be in effect for the upcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starting June 17. The new rules for ODIs and T20Is will start on July 2 and July 10, respectively, when the limited-overs series between the two teams begins.
Key Changes:
- Concussion substitute rule: Teams must provide a list of five potential substitutes before the match. The replacement player must be like-for-like.
- ODI format: Two balls will be used for the first 34 overs. After that, the team can choose which ball to use for the remaining overs.
- Effective date: June 17 for Test series, July 2 for ODIs, and July 10 for T20Is.
These changes aim to make the game more fair and exciting for players and fans alike.