World Cup final given Super Over option

2015 World Cup

Cricket365
February 5, 2015

The ICC held their first big meeting of the year this week, in Dubai on Wednesday, and have announced that if the final of the upcoming World Cup ends in a tied score, there will be a Super Over.

Like at previous events, there will be no reserve day for the final, and there must be a result on the day, and thus the T20 convention of one over per side has been implemented.

Their media release said: "The ICC Board reinstated the use of a Super Over in the event of a tie in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 final.

"This now replicates the arrangements for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final and other recent ICC events where a winner will be determined on the day of the final (weather permitting), and a Super Over was the most credible way to separate the two sides."

The ICC also decided that captains will have a clean slate going into the tournament in terms of slow over rate offenses, so they will be at less risk of being banned for a game.

They said: "The ICC Board also approved a change to the application of ICC Code of Conduct offences relating to slow over-rates in ICC events so that captains do not carry any prior minor over-rate offence ‘strikes’ or over-rate suspensions from other series into an ICC event.

"This approval means all captains will enter the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with no over-rate ‘strikes’ against their names, and they will only be suspended from playing in an ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match if over-rate offences are committed during the event.

"Any over-rate 'strikes' incurred prior to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be carried forward to the first bilateral series after the event."

The board also discussed the matter of helmet safety, in the wake of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes' death last year, and were pleased to note that a new safety standard had been reached and that players were taking advantage of this.

They added: "The Board considered issues around player safety following the tragic death of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes during a first-class match, and was briefed on the ICC-supported research project to improve the safety of cricket helmets which has recently resulted in a new British Safety Standard being introduced.

It was noted that helmet manufacturers have now introduced a number of new helmet models that comply with the updated British Standard, and that an increasing number of international players have been choosing to wear the helmet models that comply with this new safety standard."