COVID-19 Impact on Cricket: ICC Announces 'Interim' Changes In Rules In Playing The Game!

Amid COVID-19 outbreak, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced several interim changes to its playing regulations which also includes the ban on use of saliva to shine a cricket ball and allowing home umpires in international series. 

ICC further decided to allow teams to have a replacement for players if anyone shows Covid-19 symptoms in Test matches. 

As per Hindustan Times report, these new changes were recommended by the cricket committee which is led by former Indian captain Anil Kumble. This decision came a day after the West Indies team arrived in England for a three-Test tour behind closed doors.

In a press release, issued by ICC - it stated that, “The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) ratified recommendations from the Anil Kumble-led Cricket Committee, aimed at mitigating the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus and protect the safety of players and match officials when cricket resumes.”

Below are the major interim changes taken up by ICC:

- COVID-19 Replacements: Teams will be allowed to replace players, who display symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match. However, the regulation for COVID-19 replacements will not be applicable in ODIs and T20Is.

- Ban on applying saliva to the ball: Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning. Also, whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.

- Non-neutral umpires: The requirement to appoint neutral match officials will be temporarily removed from the playing conditions for all international formats owing to the current logistical challenges with international travel. 

- Additional DRS reviews: The CEC has also confirmed an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match, keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times. 

Finally, the ICC Cricket Operations team will support Match Referees when processing Code of Conduct breaches. Check the post below: