ICC considers change in current two-ball ODI playing conditions

New Delhi [India], : The International Cricket Council is considering a change to the existing two-ball playing conditions in ODIs with an aim of restoring the balance between bat and ball in the format, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The ICC men's cricket committee, headed by Sourav Ganguly, recommended introducing the change to board of chief executives. According to the recommendation, each inning will start with two new balls, which is the current case, but the fielding side will be allowed to select which ball they wish to bowl with after the 34th over, by which time both balls will be 17 overs old. The ball that isn't chosen will be kept as a spare and will be used in case the need arises.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the cricketing boards are expected to give their feedback on the tweak by the end of this month. If there is a general agreement, the suggestion will be formalised in the playing conditions, likely at the ICC's annual general meeting in July.

The ICC introduced the current playing conditions in October 2011. Until the 2011 World Cup in India, the ODI playing conditions called for a mandatory change in the ball after the 34th over of an innings, where a similarly used ball would replace the ball, but with one that was cleaner and easier to see.

In addition, the boards will consider and provide their feedback on implementing a 60-second stop clock in Test cricket. This regulation will help combat the slow over rates in the format. It has already been in place for T20Is and ODIs since last year.

Teams that are running behind time in the completion of their overs are penalised by bringing one extra fielder within the 30-yard circle. The committee members also discussed the bonus-point rewards system in the World Test Championship. However, the view around it was that it would be too complicated to implement.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.