Five-run penalty for time-wasting among ICC rule changes

Batters can now be handed a five-run penalty if found to be wasting time on three or more occasions, following a series of changes to the ICC's playing conditions.

The changes, which came into place on October 1, also include stricter regulations around the size of the ball in the women's game, and previously flagged changes around the use of pink balls in Tests and wickets falling in the final over of the day in multi-day matches.

While an incoming batter can be dismissed "timed out" for taking too ​long to face their first delivery, there ​is no fixed limit to how much time ⁠a batter can take between deliveries.

But in general, ​a batter is expected to be prepared for a ​delivery as soon as the fielding team and the bowler are ready.

Following the ICC's changes, batters found to be wasting time on three or more occasions within an innings, or an 80-over block in Tests, are liable to lose five runs for their team.

"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," the ICC said in a statement on Thursday. The warnings ​are reset at ​the end ⁠of the innings or after 80 overs.

The ICC also announced tighter regulations for ​the size and weight of the balls, ​introducing strict specifications for women's balls for the first time.

"For women’s and junior cricket, manufacturers have often produced a single ball for both categories," the ICC statement said. "New limits have now been introduced, establishing three distinct size and weight specifications for men’s, women’s and junior cricket."

Another change includes providing umpires with "greater leeway in determining whether a ball is finally settled, which can often be extremely important, particularly on the final ball of a close game. The ball no longer must necessarily be in the bowler’s or wicketkeeper’s hands to be finally settled."

Meanwhile, the ICC also clarified that for a ball to be considered held by a fielder for a run-out or stumping, the fielder must have complete control of the ball. Merely touching the ball with the hand while it breaks the stumps is not sufficient.

The governing body has also allowed pink balls, which are ⁠used ​in day-night tests, to be ​trialled in daytime tests by mutual agreement between the teams before the ​match, to reduce loss of play due to bad light.

The decision cannot be changed after the match has started. Switching from red to pink ball is also not allowed once the match has commenced.