TNI Bureau: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday made the ban on the use of saliva to polish the ball a permanent affair.
It was also decided that the playing conditions for all men’s and women’s ODI and T20I matches will be amended to allow hybrid pitches to be used, if agreed by both teams.
Currently, hybrid pitches can only be used in women’s T20I matches.
It also introduced a clause whereby any “unfair” and “deliberate movement” while the bowler is running in to bowl could now result in the umpire awarding five penalty runs to the batting side, in addition to a call of ‘dead ball’.
On the issue of unfair movement by the fielding side, the new ICC rule says, “Any unfair and deliberate movement while the bowler is running in to bowl could now result in the umpire awarding five penalty runs to the batting side, in addition to a call of ‘dead ball’.”
The ICC has announced several changes to its ‘Terms of Play’ after the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) ratified the recommendations of the Men’s Cricket Committee led by Sourav Ganguly.