TEST MATCH rules part 1

        STANDARD TEST MATCH PLAYING CONDITIONS

Part-1

                These playing conditions are applicable to all Test Matches from 22 September 2016 and supersede the previous version dated 5 July 2015. Included in this version are amendments to clauses. 2.2, 3.8.3, 40, 41.2, Appendix 1 clauses 2.2, 3.3, 3.7, 3.10, Appendix 3 clauses 2, 3 and 6 and new clause 8.2.

Except as varied hereunder, the Laws of Cricket (2000 Code - 6th edition 2015) shall apply.

1   LAW 1 - THE PLAYERS

1.1 Law 1.1 - Number of Players

Law 1.1 shall be replaced by the following:

A match is played between two sides. Each side shall consist of 11 players, one of whom shall be captain.

1.2 Law 1.2 – Nomination of Players

Law 1.2 shall be replaced by the following:

1.2.1       Each captain shall nominate 11 players plus a maximum of 4 substitute fielders in writing to the ICC Match Referee before the toss. No player (member of the playing eleven) may be changed after the nomination without the consent of the opposing captain.

1.2.2       Only those nominated as substitute fielders shall be entitled to act as substitute fielders during the match, unless the ICC Match Referee, in exceptional circumstances, allows subsequent additions.

1.2.3       A player or player support personnel who has been suspended from participating in a match shall not, from the toss of the coin and for the remainder of the match thereafter:

a)  Be nominated as, or carry out any of the duties or responsibilities of a substitute fielder, or

b)  Enter any part of the playing area (which shall include the field of play and the area between the boundary and the perimeter boards) at any time, including any scheduled or unscheduled breaks in play.

A player who has been suspended from participating in a match shall be permitted from the toss of the coin and for the remainder of the match thereafter be permitted to enter the players’ dressing room provided that the players’ dressing room (or any part thereof) for the match is not within the playing area described in b) above (for example, the player is not permitted to enter the on-field ‘dug-out’)

1.2.4       All those nominated including those nominated as substitute fielders, must be eligible to play for that particular team and by such nomination the nominees shall warrant that they are so eligible.

1.2.5       In addition, by their nomination, the nominees shall be deemed to have agreed to abide by all the applicable ICC Regulations pertaining to international cricket and in particular, the Clothing and Equipment Regulations, the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel (hereafter referred to as the ICC Code of Conduct), the Anti-Racism Code for Players and Player Support Personnel, the Anti-Doping Code and the Anti-Corruption Code.

1.3 Law 1.3 - Captain

The following shall apply in addition to Law 1.3 (a):

The deputy must be one of the nominated members of the playing eleven.

Each Member Board must nominate its ‘Test Team Captain’ to the ICC when appointed.

If the ‘Test Team Captain’ is not participating in a series, the relevant Home Board must nominate a replacement ‘Test Team Captain’ for the series. The Home Board shall advise the series Match Referee.

If the ‘Test Team Captain’ plays in a match without being the nominated captain for that match, he will be deemed to be the captain should any penalties be applied for over rate breaches under the Code of Conduct.

2   LAW 2 - SUBSTITUTES AND RUNNERS, BATSMAN OR FIELDER LEAVINGTHE FIELD, BATSMAN RETIRING, BATSMAN COMMENCING INNINGS

2.1 Law 2.1 Substitutes and Runners

Law 2.1 (a) (ii), 2.7 and 2.8 shall not apply. A runner for a batsman when batting is not permitted. Law 2.1 (b) shall be amended as follows:

The umpires shall have discretion to allow, for other wholly acceptable reasons, a substitute fielder to act for a nominated player, at the start of the match, or at any subsequent time.

2.2 Law 2.5 - Fielder absent or leaving the field

Law 2.5 shall be replaced by the following:

If a fielder fails to take the field with his side at the start of the match or at any later time, or leaves the field during a session of play, the umpire shall be informed of the reason for his absence, and he shall not thereafter come on to the field during a session of play without the consent of the umpire. (See Law 2.6 as modified). The umpire shall give such consent as soon as practicable.

If the player is absent from the field for longer than 8 minutes, the following restrictions shall apply to their future participation in the match:

2.2.1       The player shall not be permitted to bowl in the match until he has either been able to field, or his team has subsequently been batting, for the total length of playing time for which he was absent (hereafter referred to as penalty time), subject to a maximum cumulative penalty time of 120 minutes. If any unexpired penalty time remains at the end of an innings, it is carried forward to the next and subsequent innings of the match.

2.2.2       The player shall not be permitted to bat in the match until his team’s batting innings has been in progress for the length of playing time that is equal to the unexpired penalty time carried forward from the previous innings, subject to a maximum cumulative penalty time of 120 minutes. However, once his side has lost

five wickets in its batting innings, he may bat immediately. If any unexpired penalty time remains at the end of that batting innings, it is carried forward to the next and subsequent innings of the match.

For the purposes of 2.2.1 and 2.2.2, playing time shall comprise the time play is in progress excluding lunch and tea intervals, intervals between innings and official drinks intervals. For clarity, a player’s penalty time will continue to expire after he is dismissed, for the remainder of his team’s batting innings.

However, in the event of a batsman or a fieldsman already being off the field at the commencement of an interruption in play through ground, weather or light conditions or for other exceptional circumstances, he shall be allowed to count any such stoppage time as playing time, provided that he personally informs the umpires when he is fit enough to take the field had play been in progress.

Similarly, if at the commencement of an interruption in play through ground, weather or light conditions or for other exceptional circumstances, a player is on the field but still has some unexpired penalty time remaining from a previous absence, he shall automatically be allowed to count any such stoppage time as playing time, provided he returns to the field of play immediately after the interruption.

The restriction in clauses 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 above shall not apply if the player has suffered an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).

2.2.3        Substitute fielders shall only be permitted in cases of injury, illness or other wholly acceptable reasons. ‘Wholly acceptable reasons’ should be limited to extreme circumstances and should not include what is commonly referred to as a ‘comfort break’.