Let’s take a look at ICC updates the playing conditions.
After the Chief Executives’ Committee approved suggestions from the Sourav Ganguly-led Men’s Cricket Committee and the Women’s Cricket Committee, the International Cricket Council announced revisions to its Playing Conditions.
The Lord’s Test between England and Ireland on June 1, 2023, marks the start of the major changes to the playing rules.
Soft signal
When referring a decision to the TV umpires, umpires are no longer compelled to use a soft signal. Before making any decisions, the TV umpire will confer with the on-field umpires.
Helmets
In international cricket, helmets will be required for players in the following high-injury risk positions: (i) when they face fast bowlers; (ii) when the wicketkeeper is positioned up against the stumps; and (iii) when the fielders are near to the batter in front of the wicket.
Runs from a Free Hit
To be consistent with all previous runs scored from free hits, any runs off a Free Hit when the ball hits the stumps will count as team runs scored.
“Soft signals have been discussed at prior Cricket Committee meetings over the past couple of years,” Sourav Ganguly stated. After considering this carefully, the committee came to the conclusion that soft signals were superfluous and occasionally confusing because catches may be referred to as being inconclusive.
The ICC Men’s Cricket Committee is made up of Sourav Ganguly (Chair), Mahela Jayawardena, Roger Harper, Daniel Vettori, and VVS Laxman (representing current players), Gary Stead (representing member team coaches), Jay Shah (full members’ representative), Joel Wilson (representing empires), Ranjan Madugalle (ICC Chief Referee), Jamie Cox (representing the MCC), Kyle Coetzer (representing associate members), Shaun
