The popularity of cricket has grown over the years as it has become one of the world’s most-followed sports. Several non-cricket playing nations have adopted the game, and now, almost every country has a cricket world. The Coronavirus pandemic has drawn every fan’s attention towards the lesser-known T10 leagues that are being hosted by Vanuatu, Czech Republic, and other countries.
Like every sport, cricket has its own set of rules and regulations. However, after a particular interval of time, there arises a need to change these rules. Here’s a look at the five laws of cricket that ICC modified during the last few years.
Run Out rule
Earlier, there was a rule that during a runout situation, if a batsman’s bat was in the air, he would be declared out. However, the law has witnessed a significant change now as now, if the batsman grounds the bat past the crease, he saves his wicket.
Super Over rule
A majority of the fans would know about this change. The controversial finish to the ICC World Cup 2019 prompted ICC to change it’s Super Over rule. Earlier, if the Super Over ended in a tie, the team with the most boundaries won the match. However, now, the teams need to play a Super Over again if they score the same number of runs in the one-over eliminator.
Concussion Rule
The new rules of ICC allow the teams to substitute a player who suffers a concussion during the match. The fans saw its most excellent example during the Ashes series when Marnus Labuschagne came in as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith.
3rd umpire can give no-balls
Earlier, the rule book only permitted the on-field umpires to decide whether the delivery is legal or not. After a controversial finish to the Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore match in IPL 2019, the cricket boards had to introduce a new rule wherein the third umpires would check if a bowler has overstepped while bowling the delivery.
No runner for batsmen
A few years ago, ICC allowed the batsmen to have a runner who would run between the wickets for them in case they are injured or tired. However, this rule was abolished soon as ICC believed that it was against the Spirit of Cricket. Nowadays, a batsman has to retire hurt if he cannot run between the wickets. This change is one of the key reasons why every player focuses on fitness in the modern era.
