ICC rule changes: The International Cricket Council on Monday officially confirmed changes to the playing conditions. After the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee approved the recommendations from the Men’s Cricket Committee led by Sourav Ganguly and the Women's Cricket Committee, ICC made a few changes to playing conditions in cricket.
In a major update, ICC has scrapped the soft signal rule given by the on-field umpires. There is now no need to give a soft signal when the on-field umpire refers decisions to the TV umpire. "The major change involved the soft signal being scrapped, with umpires no longer required to give a soft signal when referring decisions to the TV umpire," ICC said in a statement.
“Soft signals have been discussed at previous cricket committee meetings over the last couple of years," Ganguly said. "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," he added.
In another change, the cricket body has made helmets compulsory at select positions on the cricket field. Wearing of helmets will be mandatory while the batters are facing fast bowlers, when wicketkeepers are standing up to the stumps and when fielders are close to the batter in front of the wicket. The rules will be come into effect from June 1 with the Test match between Ireland and England. These will also be followed in the India vs Australia WTC final and the Ashes series.
