ICC to finalise Stop Clock rule in limited-overs cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is on the verge of making the Stop Clock rule a permanent feature in limited-overs cricket. Notably, the governing body introduced the system on December 2023 on a trial basis but as things stand, it is likely to get permanent status and will also be used in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin on June 1.

Notably, the rule helps the teams maintain the pace of the game. The bowling team is given 60 seconds to make necessary changes in between overs. The bowling team must begin their over before the countdown turns zero and if there’s a breach, they will face penalties. The third umpire will keep a close eye on the timer as he will be in charge of switching it on. The on-field umpires meanwhile will issue two warnings to the fielding team, before imposing a five-run penalty.

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As per Cricbuzz, the trial for the Stop Clock rule was supposed to end in April 2024 but the ICC officials are happy with its progress and will soon give the permanent status, making it a universal rule for any limited-overs match. 

No decision yet on Champions Trophy

With Pakistan being the designated host of the Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI is likely to refuse to participate in the tournament. Even though none of the officials commented on the same, it is widely believed that they would back out, citing security concerns. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was likely to take the matter to ICC but so far, no discussions have taken place regarding the tournament. 

India refused to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 as well and there’s a high chance that they would do the same for the Champions Trophy. In case BCCI decides to do so, ICC may ponder upon changing the venue of the tournament as the majority of the revenue comes from India. However, Pakistan are in no mood to change the venue as they expect India and other teams to travel for the mega tournament.