ICC's new playing conditions bring five-run time penalties and pink balls to daytime Tests

Cricket's international playing conditions changed on 1 October, with batters who hold up play now risking five penalty runs and daytime Tests cleared to be played with a pink ball

The International Cricket Council has published a revised set of Playing Conditions that apply to every international series beginning on or after 1 October 2026. Series already under way continue under the previous regulations until they finish.

The revisions run across all three formats and cover the pace of the game, the specification of the ball, and several long-argued points of fielding law. They also carry the Laws of Cricket changes issued by the MCC this year into the regulations that govern international matches.

"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," said Sourav Ganguly, chair of the ICC Men's Cricket Committee.

Five penalty runs for holding up play

The most visible change is a time-wasting provision in men's cricket aimed at batters rather than bowlers. A batter who is not ready to face within the prescribed time is warned for a first offence and given a final warning for a second.

From the third offence onwards, five penalty runs are awarded to the fielding side. The ICC has also said that its Code of Conduct provisions may be invoked where the offending is repeated.

Pink balls cleared for daytime Tests

Test cricket gains a trial that allows a pink ball to be used in daytime matches by mutual agreement, with the aim of reducing the amount of play lost to bad light.

The decision must be taken before the match starts and cannot be revisited once play has begun, so a side cannot switch from red to pink as conditions darken.

A second change ends an oddity of the final over of a day. A wicket in an incomplete last over no longer automatically closes play, and the remaining deliveries are bowled where conditions allow rather than carried to the next morning.

Tighter definitions for fielders

For a run-out or a stumping to stand, a fielder must now have complete control of the ball. Simply touching it with a hand while the stumps are broken no longer counts as holding it.

An overthrow is now defined as an attempt to direct the ball towards the stumps to prevent runs or complete a run-out. A misfield, whether the fielder stops the ball or lets it through, is not an overthrow.

Umpires have also been given discretion over when the ball is finally settled, which no longer requires it to be back in the hands of the bowler or the wicketkeeper.

A ball of its own for the women's game

The single specification that covered the cricket ball has been replaced by three, separating the men's, women's and junior games.

The women's ball is set at 5 to 5.25 ounces, or 142 to 149 grams, with a circumference of 21.5 to 22 centimetres, tightening tolerances carried over from the men's game.

Shorter breaks and a permanent leg-side wide

In T20Is the innings interval is fixed at 15 minutes, and may be cut to no fewer than 10 when time has been lost, giving officials room to pull a match back towards its scheduled finish.

Head coaches, or a nominated representative, may now go on to the field during drinks intervals in ODIs and T20Is, bringing the men's conditions into line with the women's.

The leg-side wide introduced on trial is now permanent in both white-ball formats. The call is judged on where the batter stood at the moment of delivery, even if he has since moved towards the off side, giving bowlers more latitude against batters who move a long way around the crease.

"It was a genuinely collaborative process, with a strong focus on finding the right solutions and ensuring the Playing Conditions continue to evolve in step with the modern game, while preserving the clarity and integrity of the laws," said Gaurav Saxena, the ICC's general manager for events and operations.

The updated Playing Conditions for men and women in all three formats are published in the rules and regulations section of the ICC's website.

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