The International Cricket Council decided to take away the right to terminate matches from umpires and handed it instead to match referees.
South Africa seamer Dale Steyn grabbed his first Test wicket after an injury absence of 14 months as the hosts fought back against a fired-up India on an enthralling first day of cut-and-thrust cricket in the opening Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.
Players are unlikely to embrace the proposed four-day Tests until administrators clarify how they plan to utilise the calendar space freed up by the move, the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) said on Wednesday. The International Cricket Council is set to discuss the idea of trimming the current five-day Tests by a day to ease a crammed international calendar and reduce player workload.
Team India's manager on the South Africa tour had snubbed former Test player Dilip Sardesai previously.
India rung in two changes, Munaf Patel and Dinesh Kaarthick coming in place of VRV Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni respectively, for the third Test against South Africa.
AB de Villiers has ruled himself out of South Africa's tour to England later this year, having already said he would not be available for the Test series in New Zealand in March, as he focuses on limited overs cricket.
'I think that was the difference in the first Test where KL Rahul went on to get a hundred for us and we ended up on the winning side.'
Buttler was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point after swearing repeatedly at South Africa all-rounder Vernon Philander
Richardson also took aim at players claiming confusion over ball-tampering rules, saying the laws were clear and their complaints "disingenuous" in a speech at the MCC's Colin Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's.
The foolish episode has not gone down well with Australian fans back home, and, now, in an attempt to mock Smith and his bunch of imbeciles, an Australian radio station has produced a hilarious music video that has gone viral on social media.
'The reality is around the rest of the world... teams have had to deal with positive cases... We have to manage it as best we can.'
Australian opener David Warner and veteran fast bowler Ryan Harris have moved up to career-high positions in the ICC Test player rankings following their impressive contributions in Australia's series-winning third Test defeat of South Africa in Cape Town.
Images from the third One-Day International between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Sunday.
Free-scoring batsman AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the first three One-Day Internationals against India through injury.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has spoken of his disappointment at losing the Test series in South Africa following Sunday's five-wicket defeat in Cape Town.
South Africa need 156 runs to win the third Test with 90 overs and eight wickets in hand.
South Africa ended Day 3 on 373 all out, 41 runs behind India on the first innings, in the third Test.
At stumps, on Day 2 of the third Test, South Africa, replying to India's first innings of 414, were 144 for 1.
India are likely to play two spinners in the third and final Test against South Africa, beginning on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround when India take on an under-prepared Sri Lanka in the second Test in Bengaluru
South Africa have named uncapped batsman Theunis de Bruyn in their injury-hit squad for the three-match home Test series against Sri Lanka that starts on December 26.
Former captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft will not contest the sanctions imposed on them by Cricket Australia (CA) for their role in last month's ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, the banned duo said on Wednesday.
India's head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that his team didn't play "smart cricket at crucial times", but backed the beleaguered K L Rahul to get better as a leader in the coming days.
Cricket Australia (CA) has slapped 12-month bans on Steve Smith and David Warner, while suspending Cameron Bancroft, who was caught using a piece of sandpaper on the ball in the Cape Town Test, for nine months following the controversy which rocked cricket in Australia.
South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will have his appeal against a two-match suspension on Monday as he seeks to play in the rest of the Test series against Australia.
While South Africa grabbed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, the visitors squandered a golden opportunity to script a memorable win outside the sub-continent.
James Sutherland said Darren Lehmann has not resigned and will continue to coach the Australia men's team
Openers De Kock (78) and Janneman Malan (91) excelled with the bat as South Africa easily overhauled India's total of 287 for 6 and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Charl Langeveldt claimed nine wickets between them as South Africa took control of the third Test against England.
A wicketkeeper rarely earns kudos purely for his glovework but Wriddhiman Saha enjoyed that rare acclaim during the second Test against South Africa at Pune.
The Indian team's strategy is expected to undergo paradigm shift with some players getting a subtle yet stern message to lift their games as they face an embarrassing possibility of a clean sweep against South Africa in the third ODI, in Cape Town on Sunday.
'Sometimes KG needs a rocket. You could then almost sense the intensity and focus... he was in the zone.'
India gave wings to their ferocious ambition of winning a maiden series Down Under, beating Australia by 31 runs in the opening Test with an irresistible fusion of self-belief, hunger and talent in Adelaide.
While form is important, Tim Paine's hopes of retaining his spot may ultimately rest on whether selectors feel he might be a major distraction amid the pressures of an Ashes series.
Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft's return from a ball-tampering ban proved to be short lived after he was dismissed for two runs for the Perth Scorchers in the domestic 'Big Bash' Twenty20 competition at Launceston on Sunday.
India go in to the final Test against South Africa with more minuses than pluses from the Durban Test.
Australia meet South Africa in a one-off T20 match on the Gold Coast on November 17, before three T20s against India starting in Brisbane on November 21.
