Cricket News

Cricket Governing Body announces changes to playing conditions ahead of Test Championship final

With the Test Championship final approaching, the Cricket Governing Body has announced some changes to its playing conditions, notably the soft signal rule. The revised regulations will take effect on June 1, 2023, with the Lord’s Test between England and Ireland. The changes will also be in effect during the marquee clash between India and Australia, which begins on June 7 at the Oval.

The decision was made after the Chief Executives’ Committee approved recommendations from the Sourav Ganguly-led Men’s Cricket Committee, which were also endorsed by the Women’s Cricket Committee.

What are the new changes in playing conditions?

Soft Signal: Umpires will no longer be needed to give a soft signal while referring decisions to a third umpire. Before making any decisions, the on-field umpires must consult with the TV umpire.

Runs off a Free Hit: The new regulation would ensure that any runs scored off a free hit when the ball hits the stumps are legitimate, just like any other runs scored from a free hit.

Helmets: To ensure safety, helmets are mandatory in international cricket for certain high-risk positions – when batsmen face fast bowlers, when wicketkeepers stand in front of the stumps, and when fielders are close to the batter in front of the wicket.

After the announcement of the new changes, former Indian Cricket Board president Ganguly said the soft signals were unnecessary and sometimes confusing.

“Soft signals have been discussed at previous cricket committee meetings over the last couple of years. The committee deliberated this at length and concluded that soft signals were unnecessary and at times confusing since referrals of catches may seem inconclusive in replays,” the former India captain said.

“We also discussed player safety, which is very important for us. The committee decided that it was best to make the use of helmets mandatory in certain positions to ensure the safety of players,” he added.

The Cricket Committee: Sourav Ganguly (Chair); Mahela Jayawardena and Roger Harper (Past Players); Daniel Vettori and VVS Laxman (Representatives of Current Players); Gary Stead (Member Team Coach Representative); Jay Shah (Full Members’ Representative); Joel Wilson (Umpires’ Representative); Ranjan Madugalle (Chief Referee); Jamie Cox (MCC Representative); Kyle Coetzer (Associate Representative); Shaun Pollock (Media Representative); Greg Barclay and Geoff Allardice (Ex Officio – Chair and Chief Executive); Clive Hitchcock (Committee Secretary); David Kendix (Statistician).