The International Cricket Council (ICC) approved major playing condition changes at its annual meeting, including allowing pink-ball trials in Test matches during bad light and permitting head coaches inside the field of play during drinks breaks.

The two-day meeting took place in Ahmedabad, where the board of directors also decided to suspend Cricket Canada's membership on charges of corruption while appointing officials to oversee the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) electoral process.

"Trialling the use of a pink ball in Test Matches, with prior agreement from both teams, to maximise play in case of anticipated bad light," an ICC statement read.

The part-usage of the pink ball can only be implemented if both participating teams agree to the condition before the start of a series.

The match will begin as usual with the traditional red ball. If poor light forces a halt or threatens to stop play, the on-field umpires and teams can turn on the floodlights and substitute the red ball with an equivalently worn pink ball to finish the day's quota.

In a standard 90-over day, if light fades after 75 overs, the remaining 15 overs can be bowled using the pink ball under artificial lights, provided teams consented beforehand.

The pink ball behaves quite differently from the red ball, particularly causing exaggerated seam movement and swing, which can abruptly change the course of a match. Indian players have historically resisted playing pink-ball matches, especially at home.

To address the broader issue of poor visibility, the ICC Board also approved "undertaking research on lighting technology for match officials and venues to reduce lost play due to poor light, with ICC co-funding R&D projects alongside Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)."

Coaches can now directly strategize with players during official drinks breaks in Test matches, an access level previously reserved for the shortest format.

"Updates to the Playing Conditions to allow head coaches or their designees to consult with teams during scheduled drinks intervals, mandate 15-minute intervals in T20I matches, and require batters to be ready at the resumption of play."

Match officials will now be able to access Hawk-Eye data in real-time to check and report suspect or illegal bowling actions.

"Enabling match officials to access Hawk-Eye data when considering reporting an illegal bowling action," the rule states.

The ICC Board also approved "Permanent adoption of the leg-side wides trial." All ICC playing conditions will come into effect from October 1, 2026.

The ICC Board suspended Cricket Canada's membership with immediate effect due to "serious breaches of its membership obligations" stemming from severe governance and integrity failures, following investigations into player selection meddling and match corruption.

"In taking this decision, the ICC Board was mindful of the importance of protecting the interests of Canadian players and ensuring they are not disadvantaged by the governance issues affecting the national governing body.

"Accordingly, Canadian national representative teams will continue to be eligible to participate in ICC events during the period of suspension.

"To support the continued participation and development of the national teams, Cricket Canada will be permitted to access ICC funding through a controlled funding mechanism, under the oversight of ICC management, solely for approved national team programmes," the release stated.

The ICC will also provide Cricket Canada with a set of reinstatement conditions aimed at addressing the governance and administrative issues identified by the Board. The progress against these conditions will be monitored by the ICC Normalisation Committee, supported by ICC management, with reinstatement of membership subject to the Board being satisfied that the conditions have been fully met.

The ICC approved shifting the Women's Champions Trophy 2027 to February 14-28, 2027, instead of its initial June-July window, with Sri Lanka hosting the T20 format tournament.

Additionally, the pilot Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 will feature 10 teams (five Full and five Associate members), selected by ranking and prior T20 World Cup qualification.