Umpires get power to send players off for misconduct as ICC approves new laws

By
Faizan Lakhani
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KARACHI: The International Cricket Council has agreed to adopt major changes in ICC laws and playing conditions that would enable on field umpires to send-off players for serious discipline breach during the games.

The ICC, after its meeting in London, said in a statement that all major recommendations made by ICC’s Cricket Committee related to playing conditions and cricket laws have been accepted.

“The Chief Executives’ Committee approved all recommendations from the Cricket Committee. This includes the use of DRS in all T20 International games and teams not losing a review when an LBW review comes back as Umpire’s call,” said ICC in a statement.

“The 80 over top-up of reviews in Test cricket has been removed,” it added.

The ICC added that the minimum standards for the use of DRS for international cricket was also agreed that includes the mandatory use of accredited ball tracking and edge detection technology.

The board also approved giving umpires the power to send off players from the field in response to the most serious incidents of player misconduct, such as violence on the field, which was also recommended by the ICC’s cricket committee.

“All Members have agreed to implement this in full. All other offences would continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct,” the ICC said.

Other major changes to the Laws that will be adopted by the ICC are the restriction on bat dimensions (thickness of edges and depth of bat), and that a batsman will have made his or her ground when a bat bounces after being grounded behind the crease by a running or diving batsman.

The new ICC playing conditions will come into effect from 1 October.