ICC News Thread

[pj57]

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Kamindu Mendis made a triumphant return to Test cricket in 2024 after nearly a two-year hiatus, ensuring his place in the team with a series of stellar performances.

His remarkable year began with a tour of Bangladesh, where he scored centuries in both innings in Sylhet. He followed this up with an unbeaten 92* in the second match, finishing as the series' top scorer with 367 runs.

Mendis carried his superb form into the tour of England, where he emerged as Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer, accumulating 267 runs, including a century and two half-centuries. In the home series against New Zealand, Mendis continued to impress, registering two more centuries, including a career-best 182*. He concluded the year with a modest showing during the tour of South Africa, scoring 106 runs in four innings.

Overall, Kamindu Mendis amassed 1,049 runs in 2024 at an extraordinary average of 74.92, making him the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket for the year.

[pj57]

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)

21 Matches, 720 Runs, 119 Highest Score, 40.00 Average, 126.76 Strike Rate, Two Hundreds, Four Fifties*

The Sri Lankan skipper had a remarkable year, leading her team to a memorable Asia Cup victory in July.

Chamari’s first hundred came against Scotland, where she amassed 102 off 63, and followed it up with another 69-ball 119* against Malaysia in the Women’s Asia Cup.

This stellar knock was followed by three consistent performances of 49*, 63, and a pivotal 61 against India in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, that led Sri Lanka to the crown.

The 34-year-old also had her best year with the ball, claiming a total of 21 wickets at an average of 16.80 and an economy rate of 6.36 in T20Is. Her best bowling performance came against West Indies in Hambantota, where she took four wickets for 29 runs.

https://images.icc-cricket.com/image/upload/t_ratio21_9-size60/prd/rhutppd1shmc9x3rcmca

[Bada]

ICC Elite Panel of Umpires (2025-26)
Kumara Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Adrian Holdstock (South Africa), Richard Illingworth (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Nitin Menon (India), Allahuddien Paleker (South Africa), Ahsan Raza (Pakistan), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (Bangladesh), Rod Tucker (Australia) and Alex Wharf (England).

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/icc-elite-panel-of-umpires-michael-gough-joel-wilson-make-way-for-alex-wharf-allahuddien-paleker-1478171

[Perthman]

About time Wilson is dropped. Terrible umpire

[pj57]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/icc-considering-a-change-to-existing-two-ball-playing-conditions-in-odis-1481208

The ICC is considering a change to the existing two-ball rule in its ODI playing conditions in a bid to restore some balance between bat and ball in the format. A recommendation was made at the ICC meetings in Harare this week to use only one ball from the 35th over of an innings.

The recommendation was made by the ICC men's cricket committee, headed by Sourav Ganguly, to board chief executives. Each innings will start with two new balls, as is the case now. But in the new recommendation, the fielding side will be allowed to select which ball they wish to carry on with after the 34th over, when both balls are 17 overs old. The ball that is not chosen will then be kept as the spare ball in case it is needed.

The cricket committee had considered making the ball change earlier, after 25 overs. But ESPNcricinfo understands that did not find much favour within the committee, which felt using the balls for 17 overs before deciding which to continues with was more appropriate. Boards are expected to give their feedback on the tweak by the end of this month. If there is consensus, it will be formalised in the playing conditions most likely at the ICC's annual general meeting in July. Because it is a playing-condition change, it will not need approval by the ICC's board.

The current rule was brought in by the ICC in October 2011, having been in place at various points in the past - including, most prominently, at the 1992 World Cup. For a few years until 2011, ODI playing conditions called for a mandatory ball change after the 34th over of an innings, when it would be replaced by a similarly used ball but one that was cleaner and easier to see (the rationale being that white balls were becoming increasingly difficult to spot for batters).

A 60-second stop clock in Test cricket too?

Boards will also consider, and provide feedback on, the implementation of a 60-second stop clock in Test cricket. That regulation, to combat slow over-rates, has been in place in T20Is and ODIs since last year, where teams running behind time are penalised in various ways, including by bringing one extra fielder within the 30-yard circle.

There was also discussion in the committee about switching the Under-19 men's World Cup, currently played in the 50-over format, to T20s. There was no clear consensus around that, however, with no great support. Such a change would, in any case, require formal approval by the ICC board.

Members of the committee also discussed a bonus-points reward in the World Test Championship, though the prevalent view around that was it would be too complicated to implement.

[criccontent]

U19 World cup to T20? What a joke

[rsk19]

High time that the two ball rule was changed. Currently weighted too much in favour of batsmen.

[criccontent]

https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=107480