The International Cricket Council (ICC) is taking steps to increase the pace of limited-overs cricket while maintaining its popularity. From December 12, the ICC will introduce a new rule in the shorter format.
The ICC will implement a “stop-clock” rule starting with the five-match T20 series between West Indies and England, which begins tomorrow. The ICC recently revealed that this rule will be in effect on an experimental basis until April 2024. The stop-clock rule will apply to men’s ODI and T20 formats.
The ICC believes that too much time is wasted between overs in limited-overs cricket. To increase the pace of these formats, the ICC has set a gap time of 60 seconds between overs. The bowling team must bowl the next over within this time. If the specified time is exceeded twice, the bowling team will be penalized five runs for the third time.
These runs will be added to the batting team’s score. Field umpires will use a stopwatch to ensure that this time is met. The ICC took the decision to implement the stop-clock rule at a board meeting in Ahmedabad on November 21.
