In an effort to accelerate the game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared its intent to introduce a shot clock during overs. According to the new rule, the bowling side faces a five-run penalty if they repeatedly exceed one minute to commence a new over three times in an innings.
The approved rule, sanctioned by the chief executives committee, will undergo a “trial basis” for six months, exclusively applied to men’s ODIs and T20Is. The inaugural implementation of this rule is slated for the upcoming three-match ODI series between West Indies and England, commencing on December 3.
The forthcoming T20 series between Australia and India and the Aussie ODI series against West Indies in February will not implement this rule. The ICC stated in a media release, “The clock aims to regulate the time between overs. If the bowling team fails to initiate the next over within 60 seconds of the preceding one’s completion, a five-run penalty will be enforced upon the third occurrence in an innings.” The third umpire will commence a timer at the over’s conclusion, factoring in any stoppages before conveying the information to on-field officials.
To address slow over rates, the ICC implemented an in-match penalty in ODIs and T20Is. Failure to commence the final over within the specified time results in the bowling side having one less fielder outside the 30-yard circle. This penalty supplements the fines imposed on teams for slow over rates under the ICC’s playing conditions.
Implementing a shot clock is not a novel concept in sports and has been advocated by cricket pundits for quite some time. Tennis already employs a comparable rule, allotting players 25 seconds between points to prepare for a serve, with violations incurring penalties.
The initial proposal for cricket’s shot clock came from the MCC’s World Cricket Committee, featuring members such as Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly, and Kumar Sangakkara. Their recommendation emphasizes utilizing the shot clock during the “dead time” in a game.
The crackdown follows a Test fine escalation
Several months after the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee adjusted over-rate sanctions in Test cricket to promote prompt overs completion, a new measure was put in place. Starting from the initiation of the World Test Championship cycle, players now face a fine amounting to five percent of their match fee for each over they fail to complete.
No over-rate penalty is incurred if a team is bowled out before reaching the 80-over mark, and the new ball is not yet due. However, in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final, substantial fines were imposed on both Australia and India for sluggish over rates. India forfeited all match fees due to their slow pace, while Australia incurred an 80 percent reduction in their match fees.
