In a pioneering move, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to revolutionize the pace of play in men's ODIs and T20Is with the introduction of a 'stop clock' experiment.
Initally announced last November, the rule was first trialled in the T20I series between West Indies and England. The primary objective of the stop clock is to minimize the time taken between overs, aiming to expedite the game's tempo.
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EXPLAINED: What is the stop-clock rule in cricket?
Under the new rule, the bowling team is required to be ready to deliver the first ball of their next over within a stringent 60-second timeframe following the completion of the previous over.
The third umpire assumes a pivotal role, initiating the clock at the conclusion of an over. The countdown is prominently displayed on the stadium's big screen.
What are the penalties for violating the rule?
The consequences of non-compliance are severe. After two warnings, a third default by the bowling side triggers a five-run penalty.
Exceptions to the rule exist in situations where batters necessitate equipment changes, drinks, or injury breaks, ensuring fairness in the application of penalties. Notably, if the bowler is ready but the batter is not, the time allowance is deducted from the batting team.
For instance, if the batting team exceeds their allowances by two minutes and is fielding second, that additional time is subtracted from the overall time. Failure to conclude overs within the specified timeframes could result in both in-game and financial penalties.
This experimental initiative built on the ICC's 2022 playing conditions, addressing slow over-rates by compelling fielding sides to maintain one fewer fielder outside the circle in the final over.
Proposed in 2018 by the MCC's World Cricket Committee, including luminaries like Ricky Ponting, Saurav Ganguly, and Kumar Sangakkara, the stop clock aims to reduce 'dead time' between overs in international cricket.
When was the stop clock first implemented?
The five-match T20I series between West Indies and England, in December 2023 saw the initial implementation of the stop clock experiment.
What did the ICC say about the stop-clock rule?
“We are continually looking at ways to speed up the pace of play across international cricket,” said ICC General Manager Wasim Khan.
“The stop clock trial in white-ball international cricket follows the introduction of a successful new playing condition in 2022, which resulted in the fielding team only being allowed four fielders outside of the inner circle if they were not in a position to bowl the first ball of their final over in the stipulated time. The outcomes of the stop clock trial will be assessed at the end of the trial period.”
Will the stop-clock be used in the 2024 T20 World Cup?
On March 15, the ICC announced that the use of a stop-clock on a trial basis had been successful. Despite the initial plan for the trial to run until April 2024, the ICC observed by March that approximately 20 minutes had been saved per ODI match due to the measure.
As a result, it has now become a mandatory playing condition in all full member ODI and T20I matches from June 1, 2024. As a result, the 2024 T20 World Cup will be the first set of matches in which the stop-clock will be compulsory.
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