Big steps by the ICC to make men's one-day internationals and T20 matches more attractive. Cricket's apex governing body is going to introduce the 'stop clock' system on an experimental basis. The game will be played under new rules starting in December this year. Which will continue till April 2024.
Tuesday's ICC board meeting took place in Ahmedabad. The ultimate decision to implement the stop-clock system on an experimental basis was made there. Cricket's highest governing body later issued a statement in this regard. That's where the new rules of the game are detailed.
What is this stop-clock method? According to the new rules, the team bowling will get only 60 seconds to start the second after the end of one over. If the time difference between two overs is more than 60 seconds three times in an inning, five runs will be added to the batting team's score as a penalty. The ICC claims that this will solve the problem of slow over-rate and make T20 and one-day cricket more exciting.
It is to be noted that the MCC World Cricket Committee has already taken the initiative to speed up the bat-ball fight. In September last year, the company appointed former India captain and board president Saurabh Gangopadhyay. The cricket body has also asked several former players to give their opinion.
Sri Lanka cricketer Angelo Mathews' dismissal in this year's World Cup match against Bangladesh has sparked controversy. The Sri Lankan batsman realised that his helmet had been torn off after he took the field. He immediately asked for another helmet from the dressing room. Which was too late to bring. Seeing this, Bangladesh captain Shakib-Al-Hasan appealed for dismissal. The umpire then asked Mathews to leave the field in a time-out manner. The Sri Lankan batsman had to return to the dressing room without playing a single ball in that match. Which he vented his anger at. Not only that, Shakib's behaviour was not played out. However, Bangladesh's star cricketer refused to accept it.
Incidentally, the traditional MCC of England is the father of the rules of cricket. The organisation has welcomed the decision by the ICC to reduce the time between two overs.
Team India will tour South Africa next month. According to news sources, Bumrah, Siraj, Sami may have to bowl under the new rule there.
