Cricket: T20, ODI matches to get new '5-run penalty rule' from next month

The International Cricket Council, which is the global governing body of cricket, has decided to implement a new rule to regulate the time taken between overs in men’s ODI and T20I cricket. According to the new rule, a five-run penalty will be imposed the third time a bowling team fails to be ready to bowl the next over within 60 seconds of completing the previous one. The match officials will have a stop-clock to check the time taken between overs.

The new rule will be in force from December 2023 to April 2024 on a trial basis. "This move is part of a broader effort to improve the pace of the game and enhance the spectator experience," ICC said in a statement.

క్రికెట్లో కొత్త రూల్

బౌలింగ్ సమయంలో టీమ్లు సుదీర్ఘ సమయం తీసుకుంటుండటంతో మ్యాచులు ఆలస్యంగా ముగుస్తున్నాయి. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో స్టాప్ క్లాక్తో ఓవర్ల మధ్య వ్యవధిని నియంత్రించే విధానాన్ని ICC పరిగణిస్తోంది. బౌలింగ్ టీం మూడు సార్లు 60 సెకన్లలో తర్వాతి ఓవర్ ప్రారంభించడంలో విఫలమైతే, 5 రన్స్ పెనాల్టీ విధించనుంది. ఈ డిసెంబరు నుంచి వచ్చే ఏడాది ఏప్రిల్ వరకు ఈ విధానాన్ని ప్రయోగాత్మకంగా చేపట్టనుంది.

Last year, an in-match penalty rule was introduced in ODIs and T20Is for slow over rates. According to this rule, if the fielding team fails to start the final over by the stipulated time, they are docked one fielder from outside the 30-yard circle.

The ICC also made changes to its process of banning a pitch from international cricket. "Changes to the pitch and outfield monitoring regulations were also approved, including a simplification of the criteria against which a pitch is assessed and increasing the threshold for when a venue could have its international status removed from five demerit points to six demerit points over a five-year period," the ICC added.

The ICC board today also decided to shift the next year's men's Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa, nearly two weeks after the world governing body provisionally suspended the cricket body in the island nation due to government interference.

The board also approved new gender eligibility regulation for women’s cricket according to which male-to-female participants who have undergone male puberty will not be eligible to compete in the international women’s game, irrespective of any surgical or gender reassignment treatment they may have undertaken.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said that the changes to the gender eligibility regulations was based on extensive consultation process. “Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players," he said.

The cricket governing body will revisit these regulations in two years but at at the domestic level these regulations will remain under the jurisdiction of individual member boards.