ICC Overhauls Cricket Rules: From Stop-Clocks in Tests to Single ODI Ball After 35 Overs
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⏱️ Stop-Clock Introduced in Test Cricket
To combat slow over rates in Test matches, the ICC has introduced a 60-second stop-clock rule. Teams must be ready to start a new over within 60 seconds of the previous one ending. Each team is allowed two warnings per 80-over innings block. If the delay continues after these warnings, the batting side will be awarded five penalty runs. This rule, already in effect in white-ball formats since December 2023, will now also be enforced in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle, making time management a priority across formats.
🧠 Clearer Rules for DRS and Secondary Dismissals
A key update has been made to the Decision Review System (DRS). Previously, if a batter was declared “not out” on one mode of dismissal (say, LBW), and the review revealed another possible dismissal (like caught behind), the second wasn’t always considered. Now, the ICC has clarified that a batter can be given out for a secondary mode of dismissal if the on-field umpire had originally ruled the batter “out” and the secondary dismissal stands on umpire’s call. This ensures more consistency and avoids confusion during high-stakes reviews.
🧴 Optional Ball Change for Saliva Use
While the ban on saliva to shine the ball remains in place, umpires are no longer required to change the ball immediately upon spotting saliva use. Instead, umpires can now choose whether to replace the ball or not, based on whether it has been visibly altered. If no replacement occurs, the fielding team will be penalized five runs. This change gives umpires more discretion and acknowledges the reduced risk of minor unintentional contact.
🚫 Deliberate Short Runs Now Heavily Penalized
Aiming to preserve the integrity of the game, the ICC will now impose harsher penalties on teams attempting deliberate short runs—situations where a batter fails to ground their bat behind the crease while running, intentionally. In such cases, not only will five penalty runs be awarded to the fielding side, but the fielding captain can also choose which batter faces the next ball. This could become a strategic tool to disrupt batting partnerships and curb unsportsmanlike tactics.
🏏 Boundary Catches Valid Even on No-Balls
In an important clarification, the ICC has ruled that catches taken on deliveries that are later called no-balls must still be reviewed for their validity. If a batter is caught, and the catch is clean but the delivery was illegal, only the no-ball run will count—not any additional runs or boundaries. This protects the fielding team from losing out on critical fielding efforts due to late no-ball calls and ensures that fielding excellence is still rewarded.
🩺 Full-Time Substitutes for External Injuries in Domestic First-Class Matches
Following the success of the concussion substitute rule, the ICC has extended similar provisions to external visible injuries—but only in domestic red-ball (first-class) cricket. Teams may now bring in full-time replacements for players who suffer a serious visible injury (e.g., fractures or wounds). However, injuries like internal discomfort or illness do not qualify. This step is aimed at improving player safety while ensuring the competitive balance of teams remains intact.
🎯 ODIs to Use a Single Ball After 35 Overs
One of the most anticipated changes is in One Day Internationals (ODIs). From July 2, 2025, ODIs will no longer use two new balls—one from each end throughout the innings. Instead, a single ball will be used after the 35th over, allowing reverse swing and ball deterioration to come into play in the death overs. This change is designed to bring more bowling variety and balance back into a format long dominated by batters in the final overs.
⚖️ A Step Toward Balanced and Dynamic Cricket
These changes reflect the ICC’s ongoing efforts to modernize the game, improve time discipline, and promote fairness across formats. By introducing clearer DRS guidelines, punishing time-wasting, and ensuring more realistic ball behavior in ODIs, the ICC is trying to keep cricket engaging while also preserving its strategic and traditional elements.
