International Cricket Council has released the new ICC Code of Conduct and ICC Playing Conditions. It has also updated the infamous Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) System.
The new ICC Code of Conduct introduces some new offences and the change in level of some existing offences. It has increased the level for ball-tampering (i.e. changing the condition of the ball) offence from 2 to 3.
It also has introuduced new offences like 'attempting to gain and unfair advantage (cheating, other than ball-tampering)' at level 2 and 3, 'personal abuse' at level 2 and 3, 'audible obscenity' and 'disobeying an umpire’s instructions' at level 1.
The maximum sanction for a Level 3 offence has been increased from eight suspension points to 12 suspension points (equivalent to 6 Test matches or 12 ODIs).
Match referees will now hear Level 1, 2 and 3 charges with a Judicial Commissioner only hearing Level 4 charges and appeals.
Updates DLS system
DLS System, introduced into international cricket in 2014, has got its second update. These updates will come into effect from Sunday, 30 September with the first ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe in Kimberley.
The ICC said that the update has been carried out following a detailed ball-by-ball analysis of scoring patterns, including in the Powerplays, in all limited overs internationals played during the previous four years.
"This means the current analysis is based on information from 700 ODIs and 428 T20Is, which comprise over 240,000 outcomes of individual deliveries," said the ICC release.
ICC Playing Conditions
With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 less than a year away, the ICC has not made any major changes to the existing playing conditions.
There are only a couple of minor tweaks, including 'allowing a match to be concluded before a scheduled interval' and 'not allowing boundary rope to be any more than 10 yards from the edge of the available playing area, unless the boundary is the maximum 90 yards from the centre of the pitch.
