DUBAI, United Arab Emirates CMC – The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chief executive committee (CEC) has taken some major decisions including topping up of two reviews after 80 overs per innings for Test matches.

In ODIs, two new balls per innings will continue to be used while the ICC World Test Championship will be launched in Dubai in October, decisions which were reached during the CEC meeting in Dubai last Monday and Tuesday.
The CEC discussed a range of issues relating to the playing and business of cricket, some of which will be considered by the ICC Board when it holds its fourth and last meeting of the year in London from October 17-19.
The CEC endorsed the umpires’ intention to become far stricter on poor over-rates and time-wasting and to maximise playing time in conditions where it is safe to do so and agreed that a Working Group will be constituted to consider how the ICC should best use technology in umpire decision-making in the future.
The considerations of the group will be wide-ranging and include a review of the technologies and procedures as well as the role and training of television umpires.
It was also agreed that a trial will be conducted whereby a team’s referrals will be topped-up to two reviews after 80 overs of an innings, with this trial set to start from October 1, 2013 in all Test matches in which the DRS is used, with the results being monitored and considered by the Working Group.
An independent assessment of this technology will be conducted before a decision is made on its inclusion in the list of approved DRS technologies, while the CEC also approved the ICC Cricket Committee’s recommendation that in an ODI reduced to 25 overs or less prior to the start of first innings, only one new ball will be used per innings.
This regulation will come into effect from October 1, 2013.