Umpires call zone to be increased in ICC rule changes
Saturday 2 July 2016 17:37, UK
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed a significant change to the Decision Review System (DRS) will come in later this year.
The change, which will come into effect on October 1, will see the "umpire's call" zone on leg before wicket calls increased to the entire width of the stumps.
Currently for a call to be overturned the ball has to be judged to be hitting at least the centre of the off and leg stumps, but from October 1 that will be changed to the outside of off and leg stumps.
The ICC also confirmed on Saturday, following their annual conference in Edinburgh, that a trial will be arranged to try and improve on-field calling of no-balls.
Plans for a radical shake-up of Test cricket, including a two-division set-up, will not be concluded until at least September when a further workshop will be held in Dubai.
An ICC statement read: "There was discussion about the calling of no-balls, and the ICC will arrange a trial over coming months to better understand whether the third umpire could use instant replays to call no-balls more accurately.
"The trial is likely to be staged during one of the upcoming one-day international series, and the third umpire will judge no-balls within a few seconds of the ball being delivered and communicate this to the on-field umpire.
"Further details relating to the trial will be announced once finalised."
The ICC also reiterated its position that the wearing of helmets in international cricket should not be mandatory, but that if a player decides to wear a batting helmet, then it must comply with the new British Standard.
Chief executive David Richardson, who has been confirmed in his role until 2019, said: "The discretion of wearing a helmet continues to rest with the player, but if a player decides to wear a helmet then it has to be one which complies with the British Standard specifications.
"This is part of ICC's duty of care to prevent a player from picking up a serious injury as a result of a mis-perception that the helmet being worn is safe."
