Red Cards Like Rule To Be Deployed For The First Time In Cricket?: The Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2023) has left the cricketing world stunned as they have taken a leaf out of the football rule book to curb time-wasting.
Yes, you read that right. In a first, the T20 league will impose a red cards like system, where the teams will be sanctioned for slow over-rate, with a potential 5-run penalty and a ‘suspension’ added.
As the game time in T20I cricket extends beyond limits, the red-card rule will be used to monitor over-rate issues. This will be used both in men’s and women’s Caribbean leagues. On Sunday, the CPL 2023 organizers released a list of sanctions franchises could face for not completing their allotted overs in time. The CPL has set a benchmark of 85 minutes for an entire innings, as is the ICC norm.
It has to be noted that while the upper limit to bowl out the full 20 overs remains the same at 85 minutes a side, however, there are major tweaks in the final four overs, one of which even lead to a red cards like rule.
The third umpire will keep track of the time status and will communicate over rate status to the players via the on-field umpires at various stages of the game.
Red cards like rule to be imposed with special attention in the final four overs:
The red cards like rule will be imposed on a bowling team in the final overs of the innings, which means after the completion of the 16th over. Here, check out the list of penalties that can be imposed after the completion of the 16th over:
1. As per the latest If the 17th over is not completed by 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the bowling team will need to bring one extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle (a total of five inside the ring).
2. If the 18th over is not completed by 76 minutes and 30 seconds, the bowling team will need to bring two extra fielders inside the 30-yard circle (a total of six inside the ring).
3. If the 19th over is not completed by 80 minutes and 45 seconds, one fielder will be eliminated from the fielding side before the start of the 20th over. Besides this, six players will continue to stay inside the 30-yard circle.
4. There will also be an onus on the batting teams to keep the game moving. After a first and final warning from the umpires, the batting team will be given a 5 penalty for each instance of time wasting.
It has to be noted, that the bowling side will get relief for injuries, DRS, and the deliberate waste of time by the batting side. The batting teams will also be punished if they are not punctual.
“We have been disappointed that our T20 games have been getting longer and longer each year, and we want to do what we can to arrest this trend,” CPL’s Operations Director Michael Hall said. “It is the duty of those involved in cricket to ensure that the game keeps moving and we have sensitised both the franchises and our match officials to this duty ahead of the tournament. Our hope is that these in-game penalties are not needed, but we believe they are proportionate and necessary.”
