ICC Board Decides Against Making DRS Changes

ICC Board Decides Against Making DRS Changes

Whether DRS is used in a series will continue to be decided by the respective boards

©REUTERS / Action Images

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has concluded its annual two-day meeting, this year held in Kuala Lumpur.

It took into account recommendations made by the Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) earlier in the week although their suggestion that the Decision Review System (DRS) be made mandatory for all games has not been followed up.

After Pakistan's Danish Kaneria and England's Mervyn Westfield were found guilty of breaching the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) anti-corruption code, the board unanimously acknowledged and agreed that the ICC and every cricket-playing country should recognise and respect the sanctions put in place by the ECB.

Kaneria was handed a life ban and Westfield banned for five years.

The board also confirmed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will have implemented a domestic anti-corruption code by 15th August.

With regard to the DRS, the board explained:

"Whilst approving the recommendations of the CEC relating to the inclusion of Hot Spot cameras as part of the minimum specifications for the Decision Review System (DRS) and the amendment of the LBW protocols regarding the 'margin of uncertainty', the ICC Board agreed to continue with the present arrangement where the two competing nations in a bi-lateral series decide on the use of DRS."

However, after receiving reports and discussing the promotion of the three formats of the game, it has approved recommendations made by the CEC.

Specifically, Powerplays will be restricted to the first block of 10 overs and a batting Powerplay of five overs to be completed before the start of the 41st over and a maximum of four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the non-Powerplay overs, and that the number of short balls allowed per over be increased from one to two.

The board has also raised no objection to implementing day/night Test cricket should both competing teams agree to play under these conditions.

The board also approved a grant of $US500,000 per year from the Targeted Assistance and Performance Programme (TAPP) to both Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland, with this funding expected to be matched by both boards.

© Cricket World 2012