International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced changes in the existing set of rules. The new set of rules will be effective from Thursday, September 28. The new rules will be implemented on all international matches.
The significant changes include a restriction on the dimensions of the bat and changes to the Decision Review System. However, the next two ODI matches between India and Australia will be played according to the old rules itself.
The New Rules Are:
Player Send-Off: Just as in the game of Football, players will be shown a red card and sent off for misconduct. Umpires now have the power to send-off players for serious or violent misconduct
Bat size: Thickness of bats will be restricted. Edges cannot be more than 40 mm, while the overall depth will be restricted to a maximum of 67 mm.
Decision Review System: As a result of an ‘umpire’s call’, the team will not lose a review in case of a decision that remains unchanged.
Run Outs: If a batsman is running or diving towards the crease with forward momentum, and has grounded his/her bat behind the popping crease but subsequently has lost contact with the ground at the time of the wickets being put down, the batsman will not be run out. The same interpretation will also apply for a batsman trying to regain his/her ground to avoid being stumped.
Besides, a batsman can now be out caught, stumped or run out even if the ball bounces off the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket-keeper.
Catches: For boundary catches, airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within the boundary, otherwise a boundary will be scored.
