ICC Brings Major Test Cricket Change Before IND vs ENG 2nd Test
ICC announces new cricket rules from July 2, 2025 - stop clock now in Tests, DRS tweaks, tougher ball change rules, deliberate short-run penalties & more
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced several new rule changes that will be applied across all formats of international cricket.
While some of these rules were already tested in white-ball matches, the rest will come into effect from July 2, 2025.
Here is a look at all the big changes:
Stop Clock Rule Now In Test Cricket Too
The stop clock rule, which was first used in limited-overs cricket, will now be used in Test matches as well. As per this rule, the fielding team must start the next over within 60 seconds of finishing the previous one.
If they fail to do it on time, they will first get two warnings. If they still don’t follow it, the batting team will be awarded five penalty runs.
New Rules for DRS and Umpire Reviews
A major change has been made to how DRS decisions are reviewed:
- If a batter is given out caught behind but the ball touches the pad first, the LBW review can now still result in an ‘out’ decision, even if the tracking shows “umpire’s call.” This wasn’t the case before.
- Also, if two events happen close together like a run-out and an LBW, the third umpire will now review them in the order they happened. Earlier, this sequence wasn’t always followed.
Ball Change Rule Tightened
Umpires now have full control over when to change the ball. Teams can no longer request a change if the ball has been tampered with using saliva. The final decision rests with the match officials.
Catch To Be Reviewed Even If It’s A No Ball
In cases where the catch looks doubtful but the bowler has already bowled a no ball, umpires will still check if the catch was clean or not.
If the catch is taken properly, the batting side will get only one run for the no ball. But if it’s not a clean catch, the runs completed by the batters will be counted.
Penalty For Deliberate Short Runs
If a batter runs without touching the crease and does it purposely, it will be called a deliberate short run. In such cases:
- The batting team will be penalised 5 runs.
- The fielding captain will also get to decide which batter faces the next ball.
Like-for-Like Replacements Allowed In First-Class Cricket
For injuries like being hit by a ball or an external blow, the team will now be allowed to bring in a replacement player with similar skills. However, the decision will be made only after match officials approve the injury.
