The International Cricket Council has come up with a few changes to their playing conditions. The new rule stated that helmets are compulsory for 'high-risk positions'. Also, the compulsion of helmet is now mandatory for batters when they are playing against fast bowlers, for the wicketkeepers when they are standing close to the stumps, and for the fielders who are standing close to the batter in front of the wicket.
“We also discussed player safety, which is very important for us. The committee decided that it was best to make the use of helmets mandatory in certain positions to ensure the safety of players", Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by the ICC.
Apart from the helmet rule, they scrapped the 'soft-signal' which will be implemented from June 1. The ICC declared the changes through a press release and said that they were forced to bring the changes because of confusion it caused during the decision-making process by the third umpire.
"The on-field umpires will consult with the TV umpire before any decisions are taken," the ICC confirmed.
“Soft signals have been discussed at previous cricket committee meetings over the last couple of years," the committee chair Ganguly added.
"The committee deliberated this at length and concluded that soft signals were unnecessary and at times confusing since referrals of catches may seem inconclusive in replays," he further added.
"There was also a minor addition to the Free Hit rule with any runs scored off a Free Hit when the ball hits the stumps counted as runs scored from now. This would mean that batters can now be bowled off a Free Hit and attempt a run for the same," the ICC press release said.