ICC set to eliminate the use of soft signal rule from the WTC final onwards - Reports
The International Cricket Committee (ICC) has reportedly made the decision to scrap the soft signal rule in the sport from the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final onwards.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the change was approved by the Sourav Ganguly-led cricket committee of the ICC. The participants of the second WTC final - India and Australia - have been informed of the particular change in playing conditions among others.
The soft signal rule was under heavy scrutiny following its impact in significant matches in the recent past. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had blamed the rule for his side's defeat against England in the second Test. Saud Shakeel was caught down the leg side by Ollie Pope, leading the on-field umpire Aleem Dar to give the soft signal as out, and third umpire Joel Wilson urged him to stay with his decision.
The dismissal of the well-settled Saud Shakeel triggered a collapse as England recorded a memorable 26-run victory to seal the series.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said following the match:
"The Shakeel dismissal cost us. It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire's decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded."
Henceforth, decisions will be adjudged by the third umpires without any input from the on-field umpire. As a result, there will be no need to find overwhelming evidence to rule out the soft signal. The third umpire can make an informed decision based on his sole judgment.
The soft signal rule currently states the following according to the ICC guidelines:
"Soft Signal is the visual communication by the bowler's end umpire to the third umpire (accompanied by additional information via two-way radio where necessary) of his/her initial on-field decision prior to initiating an Umpire Review."
WTC Final set to have a reserve day like the previous edition
The upcoming WTC final is set to have a reserve sixth day, given the nature of the weather in England at this time of the year.
The reserve day came in handy during the inaugural WTC final played at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Rain played its part throughout the contest, leading the contest into the reserve day where New Zealand eventually secured the win.
Additionally, the committee has also approved the use of floodlights during the game in case of poor natural light.
Do you agree with the changes made to the rules ahead of the WTC Final? Let us know what you think.