BCCI to take selective approach regarding ICC's new rules

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is unlikely to implement all the new playing conditions passed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently. Although the new rules will kick in from October 1, the BCCI will pick some and leave out others in the Ranji season that starts on October 6. In the recent umpires and match referees seminars in Bangalore, the changes to the playing conditions were discussed threadbare and it was felt that some changes cannot be implemented immediately.

For instance, the changes to the review system are not immediately possible. Actually, it is not possible at all as there is no DRS in domestic cricket. The difficulties, to begin, with are that there are only two umpires for a domestic game – the third umpire is posted only for those games which are telecast live. In other games, the match referees double up as a third umpires.

BCCI to communicate with teams, umpires

It was felt that in such cases, keeping a watch on the specifications on the bat size may not be immediately possible. However, what looks certain are the dismissals coming off the helmet. Any deflection off the helmet used to be treated as dead ball till recently. Under the new rule, the batsman would be declared out if the ball ricochets off the helmet or gets stuck in the grill of the wicket-keeper. The other obvious change will be the run-out decision. Once the bat is placed inside the crease, the batsman will be treated as afe even if he is not, at the time of the ball hitting the stumps or bat were to be in air. There was a debate if suspending the players for on-field offenses can be straight away implemented at all. It was one of the decisions of the ICC. The opinion on it was divided and the matter was eventually left to the BCCI. The BCCI, however, is yet to communicate the playing conditions to the umpires, match referees and teams. “The handbook on playing conditions will reach the state associations before the start of the season. The playing conditions have gone to the match officials,” said a BCCI official.