ICC approves pink ball trial in Tests, legside wides rule, coach access at drinks
Synopsis
The ICC has approved one of its most wide-ranging rule overhauls in years — trialling pink balls in Tests to beat bad light, permanently adopting legside wides, letting coaches talk to teams at drinks, and mandating 15-minute T20I intervals. With MCC co-funding lighting R&D and Hawk-Eye entering bowling-action reviews, the game's regulatory architecture is shifting significantly.
Key Takeaways
The ICC Board approved a pink ball trial in Test matches to counter bad-light stoppages, requiring prior agreement from both teams.
The legside wides rule has been permanently adopted , along with all remaining MCC Laws of Cricket changes, effective 1 October 2026 .
Head coaches or designated representatives may now consult teams during scheduled drinks intervals .
15-minute intervals are now mandatory in T20I matches; batters must be ready at the resumption of play.
Match officials can access Hawk-Eye data when assessing illegal bowling actions .
The ICC will co-fund lighting technology R&D with the MCC to reduce overs lost to poor light.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a landmark set of playing condition changes at its Board meetings held in Ahmedabad on 1 June 2025, including a trial of the pink ball in Test matches to counter bad-light interruptions, the permanent adoption of the legside wides rule, and permission for head coaches to consult teams during scheduled drinks intervals. The decisions, announced in an official ICC statement on Monday, are aimed at maximising playing time and modernising the game's regulatory framework.
Pink Ball Trial in Tests
The ICC Board has approved trialling the use of a pink ball in all Test matches — with prior agreement from both competing teams — when bad light threatens to halt play. The move allows matches to continue under lights rather than being abandoned for the day, addressing a long-standing concern about lost playing time in Test cricket.
Alongside the trial, the ICC has commissioned research into lighting technology for match officials and venues, with the governing body co-funding research and development projects in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The goal, according to the ICC, is to significantly reduce the number of overs lost to poor light conditions at international venues.
Hawk-Eye for Bowling Action Reviews
Match officials will now be permitted to access Hawk-Eye ball-tracking data when assessing and reporting illegal bowling actions. The change, recommended by the Chief Executives Committee and accepted by the Board, brings biomechanical scrutiny into the officiating process, potentially making calls on suspect actions more consistent and evidence-based.
Coach Access and T20I Interval Mandate
In a significant operational update, head coaches or their designated representatives will be allowed to consult with their teams during scheduled drinks intervals in all formats. This formalises a degree of sideline involvement that had previously been restricted.
For the shortest format, the Board has made it mandatory to have 15-minute intervals in T20I matches. Additionally, batters will now be required to be ready at the resumption of play, a measure designed to cut down on time-wasting between overs and innings.
Legside Wides Rule Made Permanent
The legside wides trial — which had been running on a provisional basis — has been permanently adopted across all formats, effective 1 October 2026. All remaining MCC Laws of Cricket changes will also come into force on the same date. The permanent adoption signals the ICC's confidence that the rule has achieved its intended effect of discouraging negative bowling tactics down the leg side.
Classification Updates for CWC Challenge League
The Board also approved updates to the Classification of Official Cricket, confirming that teams participating in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League remain eligible to play other List A limited-overs matches during each Challenge League tournament cycle. The update preserves competitive opportunities for associate and emerging cricket nations.
The full slate of changes reflects the ICC's stated intent of enhancing global competition structures while fostering innovation — and the pink ball trial in particular could reshape how Test cricket is scheduled and consumed at the highest level going forward.
Point of View
But the more consequential shift may be the permanent adoption of legside wides — a rule that directly constrains a bowling tactic that had become endemic in white-ball cricket. Allowing coaches to speak at drinks breaks edges cricket closer to the timeout culture of basketball and American football, raising legitimate questions about how much sideline influence is appropriate in a sport that has traditionally prized on-field decision-making. The Hawk-Eye move for bowling actions is overdue, but its effectiveness will depend entirely on the ICC's willingness to act on the data it collects, given the historically opaque handling of suspect-action cases.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the ICC trialling a pink ball in Test matches?
The ICC is trialling the pink ball in Tests to allow play to continue under floodlights when bad light would otherwise halt a match. The trial requires prior agreement from both teams and is part of a broader effort to reduce playing time lost to poor light conditions.
When does the permanent legside wides rule take effect?
The permanent adoption of the legside wides rule, along with all remaining MCC Laws of Cricket changes, takes effect on 1 October 2026 . The rule had previously been running as a trial across formats.
Can head coaches now talk to players during a match?
Yes. The ICC Board has approved a playing conditions update allowing head coaches or their designated representatives to consult with teams during scheduled drinks intervals. This applies across formats.
What is the new T20I interval rule?
The ICC has made it mandatory for T20I matches to have a 15-minute interval. Batters are also now required to be ready at the resumption of play, a measure aimed at reducing time lost between overs and innings.
How will Hawk-Eye be used for bowling actions?
Match officials will now be permitted to access Hawk-Eye ball-tracking data when considering whether to report a player for an illegal bowling action. The change is intended to make assessments more consistent and evidence-based.
