The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently introduced a significant revision to the penalty runs rule in domestic cricket, adopting a more lenient way of accidental contact between the ball and fielders' equipment during play.
Under the new guidelines, communicated to state associations through a recent clarification note, the ball's accidental contact with equipment or objects that have coincidentally fallen from a fielder will no longer be deemed illegal fielding. This is a notable change from the previous interpretation of Rule 28.2.3, which imposed stricter penalties.
"It is not considered illegal fielding if the ball contacts piece of clothing, equipment or any other object that has accidentally fallen from the fielder's person. Wicketkeeping gloves or a fielder cap that is tucked into the fielder's waistband, will not be penalised with penalty runs. The ball will remain in play and a dismissal would be valid," the exact note as quoted by Cricbuzz.
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New rule different from earlier interpretations
This revision addresses common scenarios in cricket, particularly concerning players' habits of tucking caps into their waistbands.
An example of the same is KL Rahul's practice of securing his cap at the front of his waist, with half tucked inside and half visible. Similarly, wicketkeepers often secure their caps at the back of their waistbands. Previously, if these caps accidentally fell and contacted the ball, it would result in a five-run penalty and the ball being declared dead.
The new rule is very much different from earlier interpretations, where even accidental contact with discarded equipment would lead to immediate penalties. Under the previous rules, if a bowler's tucked clothing accidentally fell and touched the ball, it would result in a five-run penalty and the ball would be declared dead. The situation was particularly relevant in cases involving short-leg fielders taking unclear action, where contact with equipment could invalidate potential dismissals.
The BCCI has made this after practical gameplay considerations, acknowledging that such incidental contact shouldn't necessarily penalize the fielding team. The revision also streamlines the decision-making process for umpires, who previously had problems deciding complex scenarios involving equipment contact. While the fundamental aspects of Rule 28.2.3 regarding illegal fielding remain in place, this rule provides a clearer picture of specific situations involving accidentally dislodged equipment.
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