ICC’s 2025 Test Shake-Up: What’s New in the Rulebook

The ICC’s latest Test cricket rules are turning heads across the cricketing world. From stop clocks to new DRS tweaks, these rules aim to make Test cricket faster, fairer, and smarter. While some of these rules have already kicked off in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, others will roll out from July 2, 2025.

Change 1 – Stop clock in Test cricket

To deal with the ongoing problem of slow over rates in Test cricket, the ICC has introduced a stop clock system, just like in white-ball matches. Starting with the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle, teams now have 60 seconds to start a new over after the last one ends. If the fielding side fails to meet this time limit, the umpires will give two warnings. After that, if the delay continues, the bowling team will be penalized five runs. The warning count resets after every 80 overs. The clock counts upward from 0 to 60, helping officials track the time between overs more clearly.

Change 2 – Not to replace the ball after use of saliva

Although the ban on using saliva to shine the ball still stands, the ICC has updated the rule regarding ball replacement. Now, umpires are not required to automatically replace the ball if it comes into contact with saliva. This change is meant to stop teams from intentionally using saliva to force a ball change. From now on, umpires will only swap out the ball if its condition changes, like if it gets too shiny or wet. Ultimately, the call is entirely in the hands of the umpires. If the ball begins to behave unusually after they decide it hasn’t been affected by the saliva, it will not be replaced. However, in such cases, the batting side will be awarded five penalty runs.

Change 3 – DRS technique for secondary review after OUT decision

Let’s say a batter is given out caught behind and decides to review the decision. The UltraEdge shows that the ball hit the pads and didn’t touch the bat. With the caught-behind dismissed, the TV umpire then checks if the batter could be out lbw instead. Previously, once the caught-behind was ruled out, lbw was treated as “not out” by default. So, if the ball-tracking showed “umpire’s call,” the batter was not out. Under the updated rule, though, when the ball-tracking for lbw is shown, the original decision will now appear as “out.” This means that even if the result is “umpire’s call,” the batter will still be given out because the original on-field decision was out.

Change 4 – Combined reviews: a chronological judgment will be made

The ICC has updated how decisions are made when a single review involves multiple appeals from both the umpire and the players. Now, the third umpire will follow the exact order in which the events happened. Earlier, the process began with the umpire’s referral before considering the player’s review. According to the revised Rule 3.9 of the ICC playing conditions, if the first event results in the batter being out, the ball is considered dead at that moment, so the second incident doesn’t need to be reviewed. For example, if there’s an appeal for lbw followed by a run out, the third umpire will check the lbw first. If the batter is given out lbw, there’s no need to review the run out since the ball is already dead.

Change 5 – Reviewing the catch’s fairness for a no-ball

Imagine a scenario where both on-field umpires are uncertain about whether a catch was made cleanly. As they discuss the situation, the TV umpire chimes in to let them know it was a no-ball. Under the previous rules, once the no-ball was confirmed, the fairness of the catch didn’t need to be checked. The new playing conditions now state that the third umpire must also take a look at the catch. If it’s deemed a fair catch, the batting team will only get the extra run for the no-ball. But if the catch isn’t clean, the batting team will be awarded all the runs they completed during that delivery.

Change 6 – Intentionally short-term

Earlier, if a batter was caught running short deliberately, the batting team would automatically face a five-run penalty. Under the revised rules, if umpires believe that a batter intentionally failed to reach the crease to steal an extra run, the fielding side will now get to choose which batter stays on strike. The five-run penalty will still apply in such cases. According to Rule 18.5.1 of the playing conditions, a deliberate short run happens when the batters act like they’re going for more than one run, but at least one of them intentionally avoids touching the crease. However, if a batter aborts a run and the umpire believes there was no intent to cheat or gain an unfair advantage, no penalty will be given.

Change 7 – Playing substitute in domestic first-class cricket on a full-time basis

To help teams deal with the loss of a player due to a serious external injury, the ICC has introduced a trial rule for domestic first-class cricket. Under this rule, teams can bring in a full-time substitute who can fully take part in the match. Similar to a concussion substitute, the replacement must be a like-for-like player. However, match officials must see the injury before approving the substitution. This rule does not apply to minor injuries like muscle strains or cramps. The trial is optional, and it’s up to each member board to decide whether to use it in their domestic competitions.

Summary of ICC’s New Rules (2025):

The ICC’s latest Test cricket rules reflect the game’s growing focus on speed, integrity, and fairness. These modifications are anticipated to improve red-ball cricket’s quality and drama like never before as the World Test Championship progresses.