The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced a new “no ball” playing condition for Tests, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20s).
The regulation instructs umpires to call “no ball” whenever a bowler breaks the non-striker’s wicket during a delivery. It will come into effect on April 30.
The first ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Bulawayo on May 3 will be the first international match to be played under the new regulation.
“The recent interpretation used in international matches to call ‘dead ball’ when a bowler breaks the wicket during a delivery has not adequately dealt with this situation,” ICC general manager for cricket Geoff Allardice said in a statement.
“The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) recently decided to address this issue by introducing a new ‘no ball’ law from 1 October 2013. The ICC Cricket Committee noted the MCC’s decision and recommended that an ICC playing condition, mirroring the new no-ball law, be introduced to international cricket as early as possible.”
ICC chief executives subsequently approved the recommendation at its March meeting in Dubai.
“The ICC has decided to introduce this playing condition five months prior to the MCC changing the ‘no ball’ law because there is a lot of important cricket to be played before October 1, including the ICC Champions Trophy in June,” Allardice said.
“The introduction of this playing condition will now provide greater certainty for all involved when a bowler breaks the wickets during the act of delivery.”
