Stop clock for Tests, no ball change after use of saliva, new DRS protocols and more

The ICC recently approved several changes to its playing conditions for men's international cricket including the updated Boundary Law and operating with just one ball in ODIs from the 35th over. While some of these new rules have already come into play in the new cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) (2025-27), those pertaining to white-ball cricket will be effective from July 2.

Having accessed the playing conditions the ICC shared with the member countries recently, ESPNcricinfo looks at the noteworthy changes across the three formats.

A year after introducing a stop clock in white-ball formats, the ICC has decided to introduce it in Test cricket as well because slow over rates have been a long-standing problem in the format. According to the rule, the fielding side must be ready to start an over within a minute of the previous one ending. They will receive two warnings from the umpires if they fail to do so. After those warnings, the umpires will impose a five-run penalty on the bowling team. Warnings will be reset to zero after each block of 80 overs. Also, the clock will be counted upwards from 0 to 60. The rule has already been in play since the beginning of the 2025-27 WTC cycle.

While the ban on use of saliva on the ball continues, the ICC has said it is no longer mandatory for the umpires to change the ball as soon as saliva is found on it. This change comes to avoid a scenario where teams trying to force a ball change deliberately apply saliva on it. So going forward, the umpires will only change the ball if its condition has been drastically changed - like if it appears too wet or there is more shine. This has been left entirely to discretion of the umpires. Also, if the ball starts doing things after the umpires have said the application of saliva has not changed its condition, it cannot be replaced. The batting team, though, will be awarded five runs.

Imagine this - a batter has been given out caught behind and he asks for a review. UltraEdge shows the ball has actually brushed the pads without any contact with the bat. With the catch ruled out, the TV umpire now checks for the second mode of dismissal, and, asks to verify via ball-tracking whether the batter is lbw. So far, the protocol during such a review was, once it was determined the batter was not out caught, the default decision for the second mode of dismissal - lbw - would be not out. That means if ball-tracking led to an "umpire's call" verdict, the batter would remain not out. But in the updated rule, when the ball-tracking graphic for lbw is displayed, the "original decision" label on it will read "out". And if the review yields an umpire's call verdict, then the batter would be ruled out.

The ICC has also decided to modify the process of adjudication during a combined review involving both umpire and player referrals by conducting them in a chronological order, or their order of occurrence. Till now, during a combined review the process involved the TV umpire taking up the umpire review before moving on to the player's review. "If the conclusion from the first incident is that a batter is dismissed, then the ball would be deemed to have become dead at that point, rendering investigation of the second incident unnecessary," rule 3.9 in the revised ICC playing conditions says. So if there is an appeal for an lbw as well as a run out, the TV umpire would now first take up the leg-before review as that occurred first. In case the batter is out, then the ball would be declared dead.

Say there is a case where both on-field officials are not certain if a catch has been taken cleanly, but even as they are deliberating, the TV umpire informs them it was a no-ball. In the previous version of the playing conditions, once the no-ball was signaled, the TV umpire would not need to adjudicate on the fairness of the catch. But in the updated playing conditions, the third umpire will now review the catch and if it is a fair catch then the batting team will only get an extra run for the no-ball. However, if the catch is not clean, the batting team would get the runs the batters have taken.

So far, in case one of the batters had been caught taking a short run, the batting team would suffer a five-run penalty. But in the updated rules if one of the batters is found to have not made their ground deliberately in order to steal an extra run, then the umpires will ask the fielding team to decide which batter they want on strike. Also, the five-run penalty will continue to be part of the sanction.

"A deliberate short run is an attempt for batters to appear to run more than one run, while at least one batter deliberately does not make good their ground at one end," Rule 18.5.1 of the playing conditions says. "Batters may choose to abort a run, provided the umpire believes that there was no intention by the batter concerned to deceive the umpires or to score the run in which they didn't make their ground."

To offset the loss of a player who has suffered serious external injury, the ICC has asked boards to trial in their domestic first-class cricket fielding a full-time replacement player who can come in and perform the role of a team participant. The replacement player will have to be like for like, as is the case for a concussion sub. The injury will need to be evident and visible to the match officials before they allow a full-time replacement. This would not apply for players suffering hamstring pulls or niggles.

This rule will be on a trial basis and is entirely up to the member countries to implement in their domestic first-class circuit.