ICC tweaks PowerPlay rules for shortened T20Is

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced changes to the Playing Conditions in Twenty20 Internationals and the key point of alternation is in the PowerPlay calculations. To be more specific, the length of the powerplay will now be rounded to the nearest ball, instead of to the nearest over.

As per the existing regulations, the first six overs are PowerPlay overs and they broadly constitute the 30 per cent of the permitted 20 overs. If the length of the innings is shortened, rounding to the nearest over can make a big difference.

In circumstances when the number of overs of the batting team is reduced, the number of Powerplay overs shall be reduced in accordance with the table below. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the table shall apply to both the 1st and 2nd innings of the match.

Previously, an 8-over innings would contain two powerplay overs and a 9-over innings would have 3 powerplay overs. Now, as seen in the table above, the powerplay will instead end after 2.2 and 2.4 overs respectively. This keeps the proportion much closer to 30%.

"This table has been used in the T20 Blast in England for many years, where ending a powerplay midway through an over has caused no difficulty for players or officials. It has now been accepted by the ICC Men's Cricket Committee as the preferred method moving forward," the ICC told the members. "In the 8 over example above, the umpire will make the signal after 2 balls of the 3rd over, at which point three further fielders are able to drop back from within the circle."

Concussion Replacements

The ICC had previously advised the members that concussion replacements in Men's T20I matches must be identified and named before the match has started. This has been introduced to make it an even playing field between the participating teams by removing the home team advantage of a larger pool of players available. The preferred requirement is to nominate and name the following concussion replacements before the match to the match referee:

One wicketkeeper, One batter, One seam bowler, One spin bowler, One all-rounder

The ICC said, "It is understood that Associate Member teams playing T20I matches may find it difficult to identify a minimum of five specific concussion replacement players for every match. This will particularly apply to the team playing overseas who will be restricted by the number of players available outside of the play; the system we have adopted for Associate Member T20Is will cater for this."

It went on to clarify, "Teams may nominate a batter as the replacement wicketkeeper. In these circumstances, however, the referee (or their replacement) may determine that the nominated batter must keep wicket if he is used as the replacement wicketkeeper. Alternatively, the referee (or their replacement) may allow another player in the starting XI to keep wicket instead of the nominated replacement, which is the current Law, but that is entirely at the (referees) discretion and will not be guaranteed. The purpose is a like-for-like replacement, not to try to gain an advantage with another batter."

Teams can nominate the same player for more than one category. "For example, the ICC says, "If an all-rounder is nominated for more than one position, and replaces a batter, the referee will likely restrict him from bowling as he is a batter replacement. There has never been a requirement for the concussion replacement to be restricted to the playing squad and that still applies. Teams can nominate anyone who is eligible/qualified to play for them.

"The over-riding principle of a like-for-like concussion replacement still applies, and the (referee) responsible for it will deal with replacements based on the circumstances at the time. The (referee) will always have the discretion to determine if a replacement player is a near enough like-for-like to the injured player."

There are examples:

For the home team: It will be easier for the home team to nominate 5 specific replacement players as they can nominate from outside of the squad selected for the match. It means that every home player in the country who is eligible to play can be nominated as a concussion replacement. If this proves difficult at any time, remember that the same player can be nominated more than once.

For the away team: There are normally 14 players in a touring squad, and it is unlikely that there are any other players outside of the touring squad that are eligible and available for nomination where the team is playing. Under these circumstances the team should nominate the 3 players not in the playing XI on the form, with two of them nominated twice. If a replacement is required, it will be dealt with at the time based on the principle of a like-for-like replacement from the nominations. If there are eligible players outside of the squad who are available in the country where the team is playing, they can be considered as nominations.

"Under exceptional circumstances the match referee (or their replacement) may consider a replacement player who is outside of the nominated replacements submitted by the team for the match. This is covered in the nomination form.

Saliva on the Ball

The ICC says, "If any substance, including saliva, is used to change the condition of the ball, it is mandatory for the ball to be replaced. Circumstances could arise whereby a team wants to change the ball and deliberately applies saliva to get it replaced. This new clause can prevent the ball from being automatically changed under these circumstances."

These changes apply only to the Men's playing conditions. Women's playing conditions will be updated in October, the ICC said. The new playing conditions will come into effect from July 10, 2025.