Apex Cricket announce new rules that may come in affect from Test Championship final between India and Australia

The Apex Cricket Council has removed the ‘soft signal’ in cricket which already made the headlines. The rule is likely to come into effect from the upcoming Test Championship final between India and Australia. Apart from this, the Cricket Council introduced a couple of new rules beginning from the much-awaited India-Australia clash.

According to the rules by the Apex Cricket Council, it states that "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."

The first rule is regarding the compulsion of wearing a helmet for batters and fielders at certain positions. A batter facing a fast bowler compulsorily needs a wear a helmet. Similarly, wicketkeepers stand near the wicket, and the fielders standing in a close position in front of the wicket should also wear a helmet for safety.

Meanwhile, there has been a minor addition in a free-hit rule as well. Any runs that have been scored in a free hit after the ball hits the stumps will be awarded to the batter playing the ball. A free hit is a delivery that the batting team gets when bowler bowls a no-ball by stepping out of the crease or hitting above the waist.

Batter to get more benefit on a free-hit

In a free hit, the batter gets immunity against any kind of dismissal apart from the run-out and the obstruction of the field. However, if the balls hit the stumps on a free hit and the batter decided to run the wickets then the runs are added to the team’s total in the form of byes. But now, if a similar kind of situation occurs in the future under the new rule, the runs will be counted as scored off the bat, and will presumably reflect against the bowler’s tally as well.

It would be interesting that how these new rules will make an impact in the big final coming where the runner-up of the previous edition of the Test Championship and the World's number one Test side India will take on Australia at the Kennington Oval ground in England from June 7th to June 11th.