Changes to playing conditions for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

An amendment to the playing conditions for the ICC Cricket World Cup has been agreed following the pre-tournament meeting between event officials, and captains, coaches and managers of the 16 competing teams.

During the meeting, which took place in Montego Bay last Saturday, it was agreed that in the event of a toss but no play taking place on the first scheduled day of a match, the toss could take place again and the teams changed for the reserve day.

In announcing this decision, the ICC also clarified the situations concerning the calculation of net run-rate during the tournament and the role of the ICC match referee in relation to Law 21.3 ("Umpires awarding a match").

Explaining the decision concerning the potential for a re-toss on day two of a rain-ruined match, ICC General Manager - Cricket and Chairman of the Tournament Technical Committee David Richardson said: "Under the original playing conditions the result of the toss was carried over to the reserve day even if a ball was not bowled on day one but there was a groundswell of opinion against that in the meeting

"The concerns included the fact that conditions may change overnight and that might result in a side being unfairly disadvantaged if the original toss remained in place.

"Those possible changes in conditions could also necessitate the need for a team change for tactics or a player could fall ill overnight and this amendment to the playing conditions caters for all these eventualities."

Mr Richardson added: "It was also agreed that if the circumstances envisaged in the amendment came to pass then it will still be regarded as only one match taking place, not two.

"In effect, in those circumstances, the captains have agreed to discount the first toss. As such the first toss will be deemed not to have taken place at all and that means there is no question of players being awarded caps on the basis of that first day."

Clarification on the calculation of net run-rate through the tournament was also issued to all sides ahead of the first match of the tournament.

The first sentence of paragraph 21.9.5 of the tournament playing conditions should now read:

This clarifies that a team's net run-rate in the Super 8s stage of the tournament will be calculated on the basis of matches against other sides that have qualified for that stage and not on the basis of all matches it has played in the tournament.

In addition, paragraph 21.9.3 states that in the event of a no result in the semi final, the team with the highest net run-rate in the Super 8s matches shall proceed to the final. It is necessary to clarify that the relevant matches to be taken account in this instance includes all matches played against the other Super 8 qualifiers (including the match played in the group stage). This paragraph has accordingly been amended to read as follows:

It should also be noted that the decision to alter the role of the ICC match referee, taken by the ICC Board at its March meeting in Cape Town, applies in this tournament.

The Board adopted the recommendation of the ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) which, at its January meeting, suggested an amendment to the ICC Playing Condition that relates to Law 21.3 ("Umpires awarding a match").

The recommendation means that it is the responsibility of the match referee to make the final decision on the termination of a match in the circumstances envisaged under that section of the Laws.

The first match of the tournament took place on Tuesday at Sabina Park, Kingston with the hosts the West Indies playing 1992 Champions Pakistan.

The tournament sees a total of 51 matches played between 16 teams with the final to be staged at Kensington Oval, Barbados on 28 April. Australia is the defending champion after beating India in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup final in Johannesburg in 2003.