NEW DELHI, July 30 (PTI): The ICC's Cricket Committee will discuss issues concerning the epic World Cup final, including the controversial boundary count back rule, in its next meeting, said the apex body's general manager of cricket, Geoff Allardice.
Cricketers - current and former - shared New Zealand's pain on losing the World Cup title to hosts England on a boundary count back rule following an epic final at the Lord's on July 14. "The cricket committee will consider any issues arising from the World Cup final when it next meets in the first quarter of 2020," Allardice said.
"A Super Over has been used to determine a winner in a tied match in ICC events since 2009 (replacing the bowl-out), and the tiebreaker after a tied Super Over needed to be derived from something that happened in that particular match. So it has always related to the number of boundaries scored in the match," he added.
Overthrow rule
Ben Stokes was awarded six runs - two for running, for as overthrows - after a throw from the boundary hit his bat and the ball crossed the boundary. However, according to cricket's rules, he should have been awarded five runs, not six. Allardice said the umpires had to make a "judgement call". He said this particular rule is not under review, as far as he knew. "The ICC playing conditions mirror the MCC Laws of Cricket on this issue, and I am not aware if the MCC is thinking of reviewing the law that relates to overthrows as a result of what happened in the World Cup final," he said.
Count back
He said the boundary count back rule was followed as it is in practice in T20 leagues across the world. "Almost all the T20 leagues around the world also use boundaries as the tiebreaker in their Super Overs," Allardice said.
"We wanted to use the same Super Over regulations that are used across all professional cricket and that's why it was the way it was. Whether it should be different is something that our Cricket Committee will consider at some point."
The ICC's chief executives committee (CEC) did not deliberate at its annual conference on whether sharing the World Cup could be an option in future. "No, that wasn't discussed. The consistent view has been that the World Cup final needs a winner, and a Super Over was in the playing conditions to decide a tied final in each of the last three World Cups," he said.
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