ICC Approves Changes to Two-Ball Rule and Concussion Sub Protocols in ODIs

In a big update, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a key change to the two-ball rule in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and introduced a uniform concussion substitute policy for all formats of men’s international cricket, according to ESPN Cricinfo. These updates, suggested by the ICC’s men’s cricket committee and later approved by the chief executives committee, will come into effect on different dates depending on the format.

The new rules will come into play on different dates: Test matches from June 17, ODIs from July 2, and T20Is from July 10. One of the key changes in ODIs is about how new balls are used. Right now, two new balls are used one from each end for the entire innings. Under the updated rule, teams will still start with two new balls, but only until the 34th over. After that, the bowling side will get to pick one of those two balls, and that same ball will be used from both ends for the rest of the innings from overs 35 to 50.

Interestingly, if an ODI match is shortened to 25 overs or fewer per team before the first innings starts, the bowling team will be allowed to use only one new ball for their entire innings. As for the new concussion rules, teams must now give a list of their substitute players and their specific roles to the match referee before the game begins. This list should include one wicketkeeper, one batter, one fast bowler, one spin bowler and one all-rounder. The goal is to make things clearer and avoid any confusion or disputes over concussion replacements.

Updated Playing Conditions Aim for Greater Clarity and Fairness

One key incident that likely influenced this rule change happened earlier this year during the fourth T20I between India and England. In that match, India replaced batting all-rounder Shivam Dube with bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute. Rana went on to take three wickets for 33 runs, but the match referee’s decision to allow his inclusion led to a lot of debate. By assigning players to specific roles beforehand such confusing situations can now be avoided.

The updated rule also covers cases where the first concussion substitute gets injured with a concussion too. In that case, the referee can allow a replacement from outside the originally listed five following the same 'like-for-like' criteria. Lastly, the rules around catches have been slightly changed. The MCC has now banned the act of jumping outside the boundary (often called a ‘bunny hop’) and then coming back in to complete a catch.

New Ball Rule & Concussion Sub Criteria: ICC Brings Key Changes

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