Stop clock will become a permanent fixture in all ODIs and T20Is. The playing conditions for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 were also approved.
A 60-second stop clock will become a permanent feature in ODIs and T20Is from June 2024, the ICC declared while approving the playing conditions for the T20 World Cup 2024. The decision was taken during an ICC board meeting in Dubai the agenda for which was to determine the future structure and context of international bilateral cricket.
The stopclock running between overs
The results of the stop clock trial were presented to the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC), which demonstrated that around 20 minutes per ODI match had been saved in time. Given the clear improvement to the flow of the game, the CEC approved that the stop clock be introduced as a mandatory playing condition in all men’s ODI and T20I matches between Full Members from 1 June 2024, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
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What is a stop clock rule?
As per the stop clock rule that was trialled in men’s white-ball cricket, the fielding side is expected to start a new over within 60 seconds of the completion of the previous over.
An electronic clock, counting down from 60 to zero, will be displayed on the ground, with the onus on the third umpire to determine the start of the clock.
The failure of the fielding side to be ready to bowl the first ball of their next over within the stipulated 60 seconds of the previous over being completed attracts two warnings. Subsequent breaches would lead to a five-run penalty per incident.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, and the clock, if already started, can be cancelled in certain situations. These include:
– When a new batter comes to the wicket between overs
– An official drinks interval has been called
– The umpires have approved the onfield treatment of an injury to a batter or fielder
– The time lost is for any circumstances beyond the control of the fielding side
Reserve day for semi-finals and final of T20 World Cup
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will have reserve days scheduled for the semi-finals and final and in the group stage and Super Eight series, a minimum of five overs have to be bowled to the team batting second to constitute a game, whilst in the knock-out stages, a minimum of ten overs will need to be bowled.
The ICC Board also approved the qualification process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The event, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka, will see 12 automatic qualifiers. These will include the joint hosts along with the top eight teams from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 with the remaining spots (between 2-4 depending on host finishing positions) to be filled from the next highest-ranked teams on the ICC Men’s T20I rankings table as at 30 June 2024.
The remaining eight teams will be identified through Regional Qualifiers.
