Umpires will have the power to take a call on all decisions regarding bad light without consulting batsmen under one of eight minor changes to the rules of cricket
London: Umpires will have the power to take a call on all decisions regarding bad light without consulting batsmen under one of eight minor changes to the rules of cricket.
Under the previous regulations the two on-field umpires would ask the batsmen if they wished to continue when the light deteriorated.
The decision by the Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the laws of the game, would also eliminate the practice of batting sides stopping play for tactical reasons.
The other changes include an umpire being required to attend the pre-match toss, and the winning captain having to decide whether to bat or bowl immediately.
Captains could previously wait until 10 minutes before the start of the game."The MCC has introduced changes aimed at providing more fairness to both sides and reducing the amount of playing time lost," The New Zealand Herald quoted a MCC statement, as saying.
The MCC has also reduced the number of warnings given to batsmen for damaging the pitch from two to one before penalty runs are issued.
