New Playing Conditions Of Ball And DRS Take Effect From Start Of Bangladesh V NZ Series

The new playing conditions for Tests, One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) came into effect with the series between Bangladesh and New Zealand, which started in Chittagong today (Wednesday 9 October).

It is important to note that the playing conditions are applicable to international cricket and must be read together with the Laws of Cricket. Whilst a playing condition may affect the Laws of Cricket as they may apply to international cricket, these changes are not amendments to the Laws of Cricket themselves.

The main amendments to the playing conditions are:

Fair and Unfair Play – Changing the Condition of the Ball (Tests, ODIs and T20Is)

Clause 42.1 which deals with The Match Ball – changing its condition, has been amended to provide clarity in situations where the condition of the match ball has been changed, and the umpires cannot identify the person responsible for changing the condition of the ball.

The following now applies:

If a team has changed the condition of the ball and no player has been witnessed changing the condition of the ball:
•The ball will be changed, and the captain issued a first and final warning.
•Such a warning will apply for the remainder of a Test match, or for the remainder of an ODI or T20I series.
•If there is a further incident of the condition of the ball being changed, a 5-run penalty will be awarded, the ball changed again and the captain will be held responsible and reported.
If the condition of the ball has been changed and the player responsible can be identified:
•The ball will be changed,
•A five-run penalty will be awarded, and
•The player responsible will be reported
Decision Review System (Tests)

This playing condition has been included in Test matches where DRS is being used on a six-month trial and will expire on 30 April 2014.

Each team has a maximum of two unsuccessful player review requests in the first 80 overs of the innings, and a maximum of two unsuccessful player review requests after 80 overs for the remainder of the innings.

This will mean that at the end of the 80th over:
•a team with two remaining reviews receives no additional reviews,
•a team with one remaining review receives one additional review, and
•a team with zero remaining reviews receives two additional reviews.

The Ball (ODIs only)
Clause 5.1.3 has been added to Law 5 that deals with The Ball.

The new clause reads: 5.1.3: “In a match reduced to 25 overs or less per side before the first innings commences, each team shall have only one new ball for its Innings.”