The elimination of runners for injured players, the use of two new balls from each end in one-dayers, and new regulation around when the batting and bowling Powerplays can be taken, are among the key recommendations the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee has made after its meeting in Hong Kong.

The one day game is about to face a major shakeup if these new regulations are approved by the ICC Executive Board, and will come into effect from October 1 this year.

Probably the most significant change to the game will be the elimination of the runner system which has had its fair share of criticism and controversy in recent years. Runners have been an established part of the game for more than a century but several recent disagreements over their usage opened the conversation up more seriously.

In the 2009 Champions Trophy, Andrew Strauss denied the cramping Graeme Smith a runner leading to some hullabaloo and earlier this year, Michael Clarke questioned the need for runners for batsmen suffering from cramps.

Another one of the proposals included the decision to use two new balls at each end during the one-day innings. The theory is that, by forcing bowlers to use the new balls, they will be able to get the ball to swing for longer periods thereby giving them a better chance at getting wickets.

Secondly, the fact that the white ball’s colour deteriorated throughout the innings made it harder for batsmen to see it.

The other major decision was to allow teams to take the batting and bowling Powerplays only between the 16th and 40th over.

The committee also unanimously agreed to make a modified version of the Decision Review System (DRS) mandatory in all Tests and one-day internationals. This will surely be welcomed by all parties involved and the mandatory terms and conditions for the DRS that have been recommended to the executive board for approval consist of infra-red cameras and audio-tracking devices.

The ball-tracking technology has been removed from the ICC’s original compulsory list of DRS technologies but wealthier cricketing nations may still use them. As usual, the ICC has also recommended some changes be trialed in the domestic version of the game and these included an increase in the number of bouncers permitted in an over from one to two.

The ICC will also make it optional to have close-in catchers and restrict the number of fielders outside the circle to four in non-Powerplay overs.

The voting was apparently undisputed so we can pretty much expect these recommendations to be approved. However, no decision was reached on the other controversial topic at hand – the format for inclusion over participating nations in the 2015 World Cup.

[Source: ESPNcricinfo]