London: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced a set of new rules, which could potentially change the face of test cricket.
Twitter poll will replace the traditional coin toss and fans will decide which team goes to bat or bowl first, ICC’s Twitter handle made this announcement along with a slew of new rules.
The cricketing world received the announcement with an element of surprise as it came on the April Fool’s Day. Some of the rules as mentioned below are unconventional for the game. But ICC cleared all such apprehensions.
“Yes, it starts from August 1 for the World Test Championship. It is a part of the wider plan to promote Test cricket,” Claire Furlong, ICC’s GM Manager (Strategic Communications) was quoted as saying by PTI earlier.
In further changes ahead of the World Test Championship, the tradition of the coin toss will be replaced by a @Twitter poll, allowing fans at home to decide who bats and bowls! pic.twitter.com/7wOuB8psZJ
— ICC (@ICC) April 1, 2019
The players won’t have their white jersey empty anymore as apart from having their numbers, they will also carry their respective Instagram handles in the test matches to make the game ‘more appealing to the younger generation’. The changes will come into effect along with the start of World Test Championship, scheduled to be played between July 2019 to June 2021.
The official broadcasters have also been given the option to send a commentator in the middle and give his/her expert opinion on the game while the match in on. They can now stand behind the slip cordon as the match is in progress. The ICC post read: ‘In a move to bring fans even closer to the sport, broadcasters will have the option to position commentators on the field of play behind the slips cordon.’
In a move to bring fans even closer to the sport, broadcasters will have the option to position commentators on the field of play behind the slips cordon ? pic.twitter.com/l8FMdFcCZ9
— ICC (@ICC) April 1, 2019
Apart from mixing the worlds of cricket and tennis, ICC also said that if the playing conditions were too hot, all the Test players would have the option to wear shorts during a match.
Should the temperature reach 35°C, the ICC’s updated playing conditions will allow all Test players the option to wear shorts ☀? pic.twitter.com/TEFHahhPkL
— ICC (@ICC) April 1, 2019
The ICC has also decided to go the baseball way of double play which means that they can now inflict double damage on their opposition. ‘After taking a catch, the fielding team will be permitted to complete a ‘Double Wicket Play’ by running out the other batsman’.
After taking a catch, the fielding team will be permitted to complete a ‘Double Wicket Play’ by running out the other batsman ✌ pic.twitter.com/1XN6rAT9lD
— ICC (@ICC) April 1, 2019
Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan supported the idea of having Instagram handles on the back of jerseys but he also hinted that it could all be a ploy by the ICC to poke fun at the supporters on April Fool Day.
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