2022 cricket rule changes

The International Cricket Council reviewed some rules in this sport. Our team considers it strange that the committee introduced some bans impacting the result of the game or players’ performance only these days. Those examples are a ban for saliva or a slow over rate designated to get an unfair advantage to the team. Let’s look in detail at these changes.

Ban of saliva. The players and management can’t polish the balls to improve their flight conditions. Cricket was the only batting sport where saliva was legal. The first temporary ban happened in 2020, during the peaking pandemic season. Now, this practice gets permanent abolition. Sweat continues to be legal for these purposes.

Batter returned after being caught. The new batter must strike when the opponent has caught their teammate. This rule is in effect despite the fact of meeting two batters crossed each other after the dismissal or not. Earlier, if the batter crossed the non-striker before the catch, the latter could take the strike.

Mankand isn’t unfair conduct it. ICC decided that Mankad was normal and moved it from the unfair section to regular run-out. That change was the final legalization after the wave of the same decisions on club and federation levels.

The incoming batter has two minutes to settle with preparations, including ODIs and tests. The rule concerning 90 seconds for T20IS is still in effect.

The new rule disallowed them to run out the batter at the strike’s end. That attempt is illegal when the opponent advances to the wicket before the bowler strides delivery. It ends with a dead ball.

The striker’s right to play the ball requires the batter to stay inside the pitch during delivery. So, if the performer violates this rule, it may lead to a dead ball. A no-ball also happens if the team forces the batter to leave the allowed zone.

The distraction of the batter was always unfair. This year the ICC decided that deliberate or unfair movements aiming to unbalance the batter while the bowler is preparing the delivery cost five runs penalty. The delivery is dead in this case, and the batting side gets five runs as an award.

The ICC introduced a new penalty for cases when the team fails to complete their overs in the allotted time. The violation of this episode in T20Is means one more player appears in the fielding circle until the end of available overs. Thus, slowing the over rate may cost the violators a victory in the match.