Stop clock for Tests, change in DRS protocol, short run penalty, the new rules across formats will come into effect from July 2.
The ICC recently approved several changes to its playing conditions for men's international cricket including the updated the bunny hop catch at the boundary Law and operating with just one ball in ODIs from the 35th over. While some of these new rules have already come into play in the new cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) (2025-27), those pertaining to white-ball cricket will be effective from July 2.
Stop clock in Test cricket
A year after introducing a stop clock in white-ball formats, the ICC has decided to introduce it in Test cricket as well because slow over rates have been a long-standing problem in the format.
According to the ICC Test Match Playing Conditions on the governing body's website, "The fielding side shall be ready to start each over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. An electronic clock will be displayed at the ground that counts up seconds from zero to 60,” the ICC said.
The fielding side will thus be given two warnings and in case of a third infraction, the batting side will be awarded with five penalty runs.
These warnings will be reset to zero after the completion of 80 overs, the ICC said.
The rule has already been in play since the beginning of the 2025-27 WTC cycle.
Deliberate short run
The ICC has introduced a new rule regarding deliberate short runs. If a batter deliberately fails to make ground while running between the wickets, the fielding side can now choose which batter faces the next ball, while the batting team will also face the existing five-run penalty.
Rule 18.5.1 of the playing conditions says, "A deliberate short run is an attempt for batters to appear to run more than one run, while at least one batter deliberately does not make good their ground at one end, batters may choose to abort a run, provided the umpire believes that there was no intention by the batter concerned to deceive the umpires or to score the run in which they didn't make their ground."
In such scenarios, the umpire at the bowler's end will disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to his original end, signal a no-ball or a wide-ball if applicable, make a short-run signal to the scorers, award five penalty runs to the fielding side and “request their captain to identify which of the two batters will be on strike for the next delivery”.
Fake appeals for catches
Another big change and massive step to uphold fairness is, if a catch is inconclusive and the fielders deliberately claim it as out, it will be called a no-ball.
According to ESPNCricinfo, earlier, if both on-field officials are not certain if a catch has been taken cleanly, but even as they are deliberating, the TV umpire informs them it was a no-ball, once the no-ball was signalled, the TV umpire would not need to adjudicate on the fairness of the catch. But in the updated playing conditions, the third umpire will now review the catch and if it is a fair catch then the batting team will only get an extra run for the no-ball. However, if the catch is not clean, the batting team would get the runs the batters have taken.
In previous edition of the playing conditions, the TV umpire was not needed to look into the fairness of a catch off a no ball.
No mandatory ball change for deliberate use of saliva
While the ban on use of saliva on the ball continues, the ICC has said it is no longer mandatory for the umpires to change the ball as soon as saliva is found on it.
This change comes to avoid a scenario where teams trying to force a ball change deliberately apply saliva on it. The umpires will only change the ball if its condition has been drastically changed -- like if it appears too wet or there is more shine. This has been left entirely to discretion of the umpires. Also, if the ball starts doing things after the umpires have said the application of saliva has not changed its condition, it cannot be replaced. The batting team, though, will be awarded five runs.
DRS protocol for secondary review after an out decision
Sample this - a batter has been given out caught behind and he asks for a review. UltraEdge shows the ball has actually brushed the pads without any contact with the bat. With the catch ruled out, the TV umpire now checks for the second mode of dismissal, and, asks to verify via ball-tracking whether the batter is lbw. So far, the protocol during such a review was, once it was determined the batter was not out caught, the default decision for the second mode of dismissal - lbw - would be not out.
That means if ball-tracking led to an "umpire's call" verdict, the batter would remain not out. But in the updated rule, when the ball-tracking graphic for lbw is displayed, the "original decision" label on it will read "out". And if the review yields an umpire's call verdict, then the batter would be ruled out.