Cricket fans were surprised to see unusual blue markings on the pitch during the first ODI between Australia and India in Perth. These new lines appeared on both sides of the wicket, particularly near the leg stump, and immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Similar markings were also spotted in the first ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies in Mirpur, signaling the beginning of a new experiment by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
ICC Testing a New Wide Ball Rule
According to reports, the ICC has started testing a new rule related to wide balls in limited-overs cricket. The trial is currently underway and will continue for six months before a final decision is made on whether to make it a permanent part of the game.
This new rule aims to make wide ball judgments more accurate and fair to both batters and bowlers. If the trial proves successful, the ICC plans to officially introduce it in all formats of white-ball cricket.
Old Rule: Limited Room for Bowlers
Under the existing rule, any delivery that passed down the leg side-beyond the leg stump-was automatically called a wide. This often benefited batters, leaving bowlers with very little margin for error, especially in limited-overs cricket where every run counts.
New Rule: Blue Lines Define the Leg-Side Boundary
The proposed system introduces new blue lines drawn close to the leg stump. These lines will help umpires determine whether a delivery on the leg side should be called a wide or not.
If the ball passes within these blue markings, it will be considered legal. Only those deliveries that go beyond the new line will be declared wide. The adjustment is designed to reduce unnecessary wide calls and allow bowlers slightly more room to attack the stumps while maintaining fairness in the contest.
A Step Toward Modernizing White-Ball Cricket
The ICC’s move reflects its ongoing effort to make the game more balanced and technologically consistent. With modern tracking tools and clearer visual aids, such experimental rules could bring greater accuracy to umpiring decisions and make limited-overs cricket more competitive.
If successful, this rule change could be one of the most significant updates to the white-ball game in recent years.
