New Signal for IPL's Strategic Timeout

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come out with a new signal to indicate strategic timeout sessions in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come out with a new signal to indicate strategic timeout sessions in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The decision was taken in a two-day workshop of the IPL umpires and referees.

Reason

A new signal to indicate the strategic timeout session was necessitated since the earlier signal of showing ‘T’ with both hands clashes with the decision review system.

New Signal

The new signal would now require the umpires to show their wrist watch area with raised hands to indicate the strategic timeout session.

Strategic Timeout

Like previous seasons of the IPL, the strategic timeout consists of two and a half minutes for each team in the innings. The bowling side can ask for a timeout between the sixth and the ninth over of the innings whereas the batting side can ask for a timeout between overs 13 and 16. Hence, there are four timeouts in an IPL match.

History of Strategic Timeout

The strategic timeout was introduced in the IPL for the first time during the second season of the tournament in 2009. It was a seven-and-a-half-minute break then for each side. The timeout came under mass criticism from major players like Sachin Tendulkar who complained that it hampered the momentum of the team.

The timeout was immediately reviewed by the IPL management and was split into two timeouts of two and a half minute each from the following season.

Workshop

A report from English daily Times of India reported that 15 Indian umpires along with four referees attended the session. Referees Javagal Srinath and Manu Nayyar, ICC umpires coach Dennis Burns, and umpires Anil Chaudhary, Nandan, C Shamshuddin and Nitin Menon discussed on different match issues and on the decision review system which will be implemented for the first time in the IPL.

Other New Rules

The much talked about Umpire Decision Review System will also be implemented in the IPL for the first time in 2018. The feature will contain the HawkEye created Ultra Edge facility as well as increased frame rates per second. In IPL 2018, each team will get one review per innings. The third umpire will also have access to both ball tracking and Ultra Edge.