ICC increases ban on ball-tampering

The ICC (International Cricket Council) has vowed to get stricter on ball tampering and personal abuse.

The ICC board has supported the recommendations of the Chief Executives’ Committee and Cricket Committee for bringing out changes in the code of conduct at the ICC’s annual conference that was held in Dublin on Monday.

It also introduced new offences like Personal Abuse and Audible Obscenity and increased the level of punishment for ‘altering the conditions of the ball’.

Ball tampering, earlier a level 2 offence is now a level 3 offence.

ICC also increased the maximum sanction for a Level 3 offence from 8 suspension points to 12.

Thus, ICC can now ban the player (if found guilty) for 6-Tests or 12-ODIs.

ICC also decided that the match referees are liable to hear any charges from Level 1 to 3 while as a Judicial Commissioner would only be hearing Level 4 appeals and charges.

Apart from this, Audible Obscenity and Disobeying an Umpire’s instructions were categorized as Level 1 offences while as attempt to Personal Abuse were categorized under Level 2-3 charges.

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ICC has also agreed to consider how the member boards could he held liable when the indiscretions by the players cross a certain threshold. Moreover, it also came up with a change in guidelines for stump microphone which would allow audio to be broadcasted anytime, including when the ball is dead. The ICC decided in the meet that the changes adopted by the ICC will be officially incorporated into the Code of Conduct for adoption later this year.

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar said, “It is great to have all ICC Members here in attendance at our 75^th Annual Conference. It has a productive week of meetings so far in Dublin.”

“I and my fellow Board directors have come out in unanimous support to the recommendations of the Cricket Committee and Chief Executive Committee for driving an improved behaviour in our sport,” he added.

“It is very important that there is a strong deterrent for both players and administrators for ensuring high standards of conduct in our game. We have more than a billion fans and we must not give them a reason to doubt the high levels of integrity within our sport,” he added.