The International Cricket Council (ICC ) on Thursday (October 1, 2026) introduced a slew of changes to the Playing Conditions across all formats, including new measures to address time-wasting, standardise ball specifications, and clarify certain aspects of fielding.
Mr. The new rules on penalties for batters wasting time state that “if a batter is not ready to face the ball within the prescribed time, a warning will be issued for the first offence, a final warning for the second, and five penalty runs awarded to the fielding side for the third and each subsequent offence. Code of Conduct provisions may also be invoked in cases of repeated offences”. The decision cannot be changed after the match has started. Switching from a red to a pink ball is also not allowed once the match has commenced.”
Regarding Test cricket, the ICC said, “As a trial, pink balls may be used in daytime Tests by mutual agreement to reduce loss of play due to bad light.
The ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Chair, Sourav Ganguly, in a statement, said “There are some important changes to the Playing Conditions, including provisions relating to cricket balls, greater clarity around certain aspects of fielding and measures aimed at improving the pace of the game. Ganguly said that the changes were brought in “to ensure the playing conditions continue to reflect the needs of the modern game while maintaining its integrity and consistency”.
The use of a pink ball must be agreed before the start of the Test, and once agreed, must apply for the duration of the match.