ICC scraps boundary count rule for knockout matches at ICC events

Super Over to be repeated if tie happens in ICC events' knockout stages.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has scrapped the highly controversial and ridiculous boundary count rule for the knockout stages of ICC events which awarded the match to the team with more boundaries in case of a tie in Super Over- something that was highlighted by cricket experts in the aftermath of ICC World Cup 2019 final between England and New Zealand.

England had won the final on basis of boundary count after the match and the Super Over was tied, with them hitting 24 boundaries in comparison to New Zealand’s 17 and became the World Champions.

The release by the ICC on Monday said: “The Super Over as a way to decide results at ICC events will be retained. Both the Cricket Committee and CEC agreed it was an exciting and engaging conclusion to the game and will remain in place covering all games at both ODI and T20I World Cups.”

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It added, “In group stages if the Super Over is tied the match will be tied. In Semi-Finals and Finals, there is one change to the Super Over-regulation in keeping with the basic principle of scoring more runs than the opponent to win, the Super Over will be repeated until one team has more runs than the other.”

The boundary count rule applied in the World Cup final drew high criticism unanimously from cricketing fraternity as they thought the condition robbed New Zealand of a chance to become World Champs.

(Indian Express inputs)