In a move set to shake up the cricketing world, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to implement stop-clock rules for all One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) starting June 2024.
The decision comes after successful trials during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where the new rules showed promise in improving game flow and efficiency.
So, what does this mean for the game? Well, from June onwards, fielding teams will have to start a new over within 60 seconds of the previous one ending. To keep everyone in check, there will be a big electronic clock displayed at the ground, and the third umpire will be in charge of starting the countdown.
Now, if teams don’t stick to this time limit, there will be penalties. It starts with a warning, but if they keep dragging their feet, they could end up losing five runs for each time they mess up. But don’t worry, there are exceptions for things like player injuries or official drinks breaks – things that are out of the fielding team’s control.
The decision to make these rules permanent came after a lot of talking by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC). They looked at how the trial went during the T20 World Cup and found that it cut down the time of each ODI match by about 20 minutes. That’s a big deal for a sport that’s often criticized for being too slow!
And get this: the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, happening in the West Indies and the United States, will be the first big tournament where these rules are fully in place. It shows just how important the ICC thinks these changes are for the future of cricket.
But that’s not all – the ICC has also decided to add reserve days for the semi-finals and finals of the T20 World Cup. That means if the weather decides to act up, there’s a backup plan in place to make sure the games go on smoothly.
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