Teams to retain review for 'umpire's call' verdict

The committee has approved the proposed recommendation regarding the “Umpires’ call” and now the top-up that teams receive after 80 overs in Test cricket will be removed. This was one of the significant recommendations that the ICC Cricket committee, chaired by former India coach Anil Kumble, had proposed at its annual meeting in London last month. 

For a long time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had been vocal opponents of the DRS, but the system was eventually used during the bilateral Test series at home and has been endorsed by the board since then. 

The usage of DRS in the Twenty20 Internationals was also approved by the committee. It has also been agreed that minimum standards of the DRS will be followed for the DRS in international cricket, which includes mandatory use of ball-tracking and edge detection technology.

In addition to that, the committee also approved the restrictions on bat dimensions in terms of the thickness of edges and depth of bat. The bat limits have been set at 108mm in width, 67mm in depth and 40mm with regard to the edge.

"Many of the top players' bats have edges of between 38 and 42mm but there are some which have edges up to 50 mm," the MCC had earlier said.

In another change in the run-out rule, a batsman will be adjudged not out once the bat is in the crease and grounded, even if it is subsequently lifted up in the air. This means that players will be ruled not out if the stumps are broken if the bat bounces after it has been grounded first time around.

The ICC also approved the “Sending offs”, as in football (red cards) rule, that include threatening an umpire, physical assault of umpire, player or spectator or any other case of physical violence. Once the player is sent off, he/she would take no further part in the entire game, whether it is a multi-day game or single-day.