ICC amends rules to restore bat-ball balance

In a bid to restore the balance between bat and ball, the ICC on Saturday decided to scrap the batting Powerplays and allow five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an innings in one-dayers. It has also decided to do away with the mandatory requirement of having two fielders in catching position in the first

Ten overs in ODIs and said that all “no balls” and not just over stepping by the bowlers will result in a free hit in both ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals.

The rule changes will come into effect for series starting on or after July 5, the ICC said in a media release issued on Saturday.The ICC Board during its Annual Conference here adopted these recommendations which were made by the ICC’s cricket committee headed by the former India captain Anil Kumble in Mumbai this May.

“We have thoroughly reviewed the ODI format after a very successful ICC Cricket World Cup. There was no need to make any radical changes to what has proved to be a vibrant and popular format but we wanted to take this opportunity to make the format simpler and easier to follow for the public as well as maintaining a balance between bat and ball,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said.

“In making these adjustments, we have tried to ensure that ODI cricket retains the attacking, aggressive and thrilling brand, which has recently become the hallmark of 50-over cricket and sets us on a positive path to the next World Cup in England in 2019.”The ICC Board also reviewed and adopted the Integrity Working Party’s recommendations to allow a greater role for a central Anti-Corruption Unit and pave the way for greater coordination of preventative and investigative activity around the world with a unified vision to ‘keep cricket clean’.

ICC Chairman N Srinivasan said: “This has been an extensive exercise, which clearly reflects our seriousness, endeavor and commitment to addressing and eradicating the menace of corruption from cricket. The successful implementation of these recommendations will help reduce the threat level but we need to remain vigilant and maintain a zero-tolerance approach.”

Some key recommendations given by the Integrity Working Party include: confirming that ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) will be the central focal point for all anti-corruption activities in international and domestic cricket, establishing an international panel from which the Members may, and the ICC will, draw their anti-corruption tribunals.

urges SlC to have election

The ICC also reiterated its earlier position that the appointment of an Interim Committee of Sri lanka Cricket (SlC) by the Government of Sri lanka was a breach of the ICC’s constitution and urged them to hold free and fair elections before the next ICC Board meeting in October.

suspends US membership

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board, exercising its power under Article 2.7 of the ICC’s Articles of Association, has unanimously decided to suspend the membership of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) with immediate effect.The decision was made after very careful consideration of the findings set out in a recently constituted Review Group report to the ICC Board on the status of USACA — a document based on inputs from  stakeholders, including USACA and meeting with USACA representatives.