Till now, the on-field umpire would either signal ‘out’ or ‘not out’ based on their gut feeling. Till now, the on-field umpire would either signal ‘out’ or ‘not out’ based on their gut feeling. Till now, the on-field umpire would either signal ‘out’ or ‘not out’ based on their gut feeling. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced new rules in which it has decided to do away with the contentious ‘soft signal’ by on-field officials, which had often faced criticism for creating more confusion for TV umpires.
“The umpires will no longer be required to give a soft signal while referring decisions to the TV umpires. The on-field umpires will consult with the TV umpire before any decisions are taken," ICC said in a press note.
Sourav Ganguly, the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, said the soft signal created confusion and at times unnecessary.
“Soft signals have been discussed at previous cricket committee meetings over the last couple of years. The committee deliberated this at length and concluded that soft signals were unnecessary and at times confusing since referrals of catches may seem inconclusive in replays," Ganguly said.
The ‘soft signal’ was used to determine the validity of catches taken inches off the ground, which couldn’t necessarily be confirmed through the naked eye.
Till now, the on-field umpire would either signal ‘out’ or ‘not out’ based on their gut feeling. And the third umpire was compelled to go by ‘soft signal’ as most of the footages proved to be inconclusive.
The ICC announced changes to the ‘playing conditions’ after the CEC approved the recommendations from the men’s cricket committee led by Sourav Ganguly and the women’s cricket committee.
“The committee decided that it was best to make the use of helmets mandatory in certain positions to ensure the safety of players.” New ‘free hit rule’ There was also a minor addition to the free hit rule with any runs scored off a free hit when the ball hits the stumps will be counted as runs scored from now. This would mean that batters can now be bowled off a free hit and attempt a run for the same.
The changes will come into effect on June 1, 2023 with the Lord’s Test between England and Ireland, a four-day one-off match.
The following World Test Championship final between India and Australia, starting June 7, will also follow these new playing conditions.