ICC approves changes to ‘DRS’ Rule

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that a significant change to ‘DRS’ will be there, which will come into effect on October 1 and will see the “umpire’s call” zone on leg before wicket calls increased to the entire width of the stumps. Currently for a call to be overturned the ball has to be judged to be hitting at least the centre of the off and leg stumps, but from October 1 that will be changed to the outside of off and leg stumps.

An ICC release said: “The size of the zone inside which half the ball needs to hit for a Not Out decision to be reversed to Out will increase, changing to a zone bordered by the outside of off and leg stumps, and the bottom of the bails (formerly the centre of off and leg stumps, and the bottom of the bails).”

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, who sits on the ICC cricket committee, had recently said that a?recommendation had been made to reduce the margin of umpire’s call on the DRS. Jayawardene had said the proposal was to reduce the margin from 50% of the ball hitting the stumps to 25%. However, the ICC release stated that “half the ball” would still need to hit the stumps.

In a decision concerning calling of no-balls, the ICC will arrange a trial in the coming months to assess if the third umpire could use instant replays to call no-balls more accurately. The trial is likely to take place during an upcoming ODI series and the third umpire will judge no-balls within a few seconds of the ball being delivered and communicate it to the on-field umpire.

The ICC also reiterated its position that the wearing of helmets in international cricket should not be mandatory, but that if a player decides to wear a batting helmet, then it must comply with the new British Standard.

Chief executive David Richardson, who has been confirmed in his role until 2019, said:?”The discretion of wearing a helmet continues to rest with the player, but if a player decides to wear a helmet then it has to be one which complies with the British Standard specifications.

“This is part of ICC’s duty of care to prevent a player from picking up a serious injury as a result of a mis-perception that the helmet being worn is safe.”

The ICC also agreed to support the inclusion of a women’s cricket event in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, following a presentation by the Commonwealth Games Federation. The ICC will submit an application for the same. “The ICC will now work closely with the Commonwealth Games Federation in order to ensure cricket’s inclusion on the program and to determine the specific tournament structure and qualification process that will be applied,” the ICC release said.

About restructuring in the ICC, the release said “significant and positive progress” had been made to oversee a “complete” review of the 2014 structural and constitutional changes. A draft of a new constitution will be prepared in the coming weeks that will be considered by the ICC Board during its October meetings.

“We have undertaken the responsibility of reviewing the 2014 resolutions and constitutional changes in their entirety as we are committed to following best practice principles of good governance to build, improve and enhance the image and reputation of the ICC by putting in place systems and processes which are fair, transparent and merit-based,” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said. “I am pleased with the work that has been done to date and during this set of meetings and we are looking forward to presenting the amended constitution to the Board for its consideration at the next meeting.”