Men’s international cricket is set to undergo several rule changes introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC), including the use of a stop clock in Test matches and updated Decision Review System (DRS) protocols.
While the changes to Test cricket have already come into effect with the beginning of the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle, the white-ball changes will be implemented from July 2.
The stop clock, which was first introduced in men’s white-ball cricket last year to deal with slow over rates, will now be used in Tests as well.
Under the rule, the fielding team must begin a new over within 60 seconds of completing the previous one. If they fail to comply, they will receive two warnings before a five-run penalty is imposed. The stop clock will reset after every 80 overs in an innings.
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The ICC has also revised the DRS process, especially in cases of secondary dismissals.
For example, if a batter is initially given out caught behind and later replays show there was no contact with the bat, the TV umpire can now consider whether the batter is also out lbw. If the ball has hit the pad and tracking shows the ball would have hit the stumps, the original on-field decision will stand. In case of an umpire’s call during the ball-tracking, the batter will remain out. This change means the review will give more weight to the on-field umpire’s original decision.
Other changes include giving umpires the option, not the obligation, to change the ball if saliva is applied to it. The fairness of a catch will now be reviewed even on no-balls.
In cases where a batter runs deliberately short, the fielding team will be allowed to choose which batter remains on strike, while the five-run penalty for the short run will still apply.
The ICC will also trial the use of full-time injury substitutes in domestic first-class cricket. These substitutes will be allowed in cases of serious injuries, excluding muscular or hamstring injuries, and must be like-for-like replacements. The decision to trial this change will be left to the individual cricket boards of each country.
