ICC introduces stop clock in new WTC cycle
Dubai, Jun 26 (PTI): The ICC has introduced stop clock in Test cricket to deal with slow over rates while allowing fielding teams to decide which batter should be on strike in case of a ‘deliberate’ short-run as part of the playing conditions for 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The new rules have been implemented from the 2025-2027 World Test Championship which got underway with the first of the two Tests between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle.
According to the ICC Test Match Playing Conditions on the governing body’s website, the use of the stop clock — like in limited-overs cricket — has been implemented to eradicate the issue of slow over-rate.
"The fielding side shall be ready to start each over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. An electronic clock will be displayed at the ground that counts up seconds from zero to 60,” the ICC said.
The fielding side will thus be given two warnings and in case of a third infraction, the batting side will be awarded with five penalty runs.
These warnings will be reset to zero after the completion of 80 overs, the ICC said.
Meanwhile, ESPNcricinfo reported that the ICC no longer mandates the umpires to change the ball once they discover saliva on it. The ban on the use of saliva remains in force.
The website said fielding teams may deliberately apply saliva on the ball to force a ball-change but the current document available on playing conditions for men’s Test cricket does not mention any such change.
The ICC also said in case there are instances of referrals being made by both player and the on-field umpire, the process will be carried out in a chronological order, effectively as per the order of their occurrence.
The ICC instructed that in case of a second review of a decision adjudged ‘out’ by an on-field umpire, the default decision for the subsequent mode of dismissal will remain ‘out’.
For example, if a batter challenges an on-field call for caught-behind and is adjudged not out with the replays showing the ball hit the pads, the TV umpire would subsequently turn to see if the batter was out leg-before.
In such a scenario, the default decision for this mode of dismissal will be ‘out’ and if the ball-tracking shows ‘umpire’s call’, the batter will be given ‘out’.
In case of a “deliberate short run”, the ICC explained, “A deliberate short run is an attempt for batters to appear to run more than one run, while at least one batter deliberately does not make good their ground at one end.”
“Batters may choose to abort a run, provided the umpire believes that there was no intention by the batter concerned to deceive the umpires or to score the run in which they didn’t make their ground.”
In such scenarios, the umpire at the bowler’s end will disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to his original end, signal a no-ball or a wide-ball if applicable, make a short-run signal to the scorers, award five penalty runs to the fielding side and “request their captain to identify which of the two batters will be on strike for the next delivery”.
The ICC said the TV umpire will now review the fairness of a catch taken off a no-ball. In case if a fair catch, the batting side will get an extra run for the no-ball and in case the catch is not cleanly taken, the batting side would get the runs the batters would have taken.
In previous edition of the playing conditions, the TV umpire was not needed to look into the fairness of a catch off a no ball.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US firm The Standard opens GCC in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): US-based firm The Standard, a leading provider of insurance, retirement, and investment products, on Tuesday opened a GCC at Embassy Tech Village in Bengaluru.
The facility, inaugurated by IT Minister Priyank Kharge, marks the next phase of The Standard’s growth in India, following the launch of its India operations in November 2025, the company said.
According to a statement, the centre will support the continued expansion of capabilities across AI engineering, cloud platform development, data and analytics, digital transformation, and insurance operations, aligned with the company’s global strategy.
The inauguration also marks the opening of The Standard India’s permanent Bengaluru office, with plans for long-term expansion in software engineering, total experience, AI, and enterprise platforms.
The company said it will continue strengthening its in-house technology expertise in line with its long-term transformation roadmap.
“Karnataka, and Bengaluru in particular, continues to be the global epicentre for Global Capability Centres. The addition of The Standard’s GCC is yet another testament to the strength of our ecosystem—anchored in world-class talent, progressive policies, and a strong culture of innovation,” the IT minister said.
“We are witnessing sustained momentum in GCC investments, with global enterprises increasingly choosing Karnataka to drive high-value functions across AI, engineering, and digital transformation. Our focus is on enabling the next generation of GCCs that are innovation-led, outcome-driven, and deeply integrated with global business strategy,” he added.
Since establishing its presence in India in November last year, The Standard has strengthened its local leadership team across finance, human resources, talent acquisition, information technology, administration, and communications, the company said.
Greg Chandler, Executive Vice President of Information Technology at The Standard, said its operations in India play an increasingly important role in the company’s technology transformation.
“The launch of The Standard India strengthens our ability to fuel ongoing growth, innovate, scale technology capabilities, accelerate digital transformation, and deliver new solutions to our customers faster,” he said.
“This centre represents a long-term investment in world-class talent and reflects our confidence in India as a strategic partner in shaping the future of our business,” Chandler added.
