The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently brought the revised playing condition that has begun to effect from this Wednesday (September 30). But it has created confusion prior to the first Test of two-match Test series between India and Windies at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Rajkot).
According to the latest playing condition, international cricket matches will be now played with bigger boundaries. The Rajkot Test venue has the 73-yard boundary distance from the centre which is within the specified limits as the clause 19.1.3 claims the boundary should be within 65-90 yards.
However, the ICC match referee Chris Broad feels the area between the stands and the boundary is slightly more than 10 yards while the new ICC rules claim that the distance can’t cross 10 yards (including the 3 yards that provided for the player’s safety run off).
The SCA officials claimed that the match referee asked them on Wednesday to increase the size of the boundary but they informed him that it would be not possible at the final moment.
Former SCA secretary Niranjan Shah told Sportstar, “We have a three-metre gap behind the boundary (till the advertisement board). That is something even the ICC has asked for the players’ safety run-off. But today (Wednesday) they inquired why the boundary size could not be increased?”
“If they wanted to get things changed, they should have informed us at least three to four days in advance. Now, everything was set up, so there was no way we could fix this.
Shah further added that he informed it fully to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Here are the new ICC rules about the ICC men’s Test match playing conditions that are effective from September 30, 2018:
Clause 19.1.1: Before the toss, the umpires shall determine the boundary of the field of play, which shall be fixed for the duration of the match.
Clause 19.1.2: The boundary shall be determined such that no part of any sightscreen, will, at any stage of the match, be within the field of play.
Clause 19.1.3: The aim shall be to maximize the size of the playing area at each venue. With respect to the size of the boundaries, no boundary shall be longer than 90 yards (82.29 meters), and no boundary should be shorter than 65 yards (59.43 metres) from the centre of the pitch to be used.
Clause 19.1.4: At all times, there must be 3 yards (2.74 meters) from the boundary rope to the first solid object (advertising boards/LEDs, photographers, cameramen, dug outs, covers, perimeter fence) for the player’s safety run off.
Clause 19.1.5: If the boundary is positioned less than 90 yards (82.29 meters) from the centre of the pitch, the boundary rope cannot be set at a distance of more than 10 yards (9.14 meters) from the perimeter fence. The 10 yards shall be inclusive of the 3 yards (2.74 meters) provided for the player’s safety run off.
Clause:19.1.6: Any ground which has previously been approved to host international cricket which is unable to conform to the minimum boundary dimension shall be exempt. In such cases the boundary shall be positioned so as to maximize the size of the playing area.
