In a bid to expedite match proceedings, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023 has rolled out stringent penalties targeting slow over rates for both men's and women's tournaments, somewhat similar to the red card system in football.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, specific time frames have been delineated for the completion of overs. The 17th over should wrap up within 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the 18th by 76 minutes and 30 seconds, the 19th by 80 minutes and 45 seconds, with the final over culminating within the 85-minute mark.
Delving into the penalty dynamics:
1. If the fielding team lags at the commencement of the 18th over, an extra player must be stationed inside the fielding circle, elevating the number to five.
2. If the delay continues to the onset of the 19th over, two more fielders (making it six) should be inside the circle.
3. A more severe penalty awaits teams at the 20th over's start: one player, chosen by the captain, will be dismissed from the field, though six players will remain within the circle.
The batting sides aren’t exempt either. After an umpire's warning on time-wasting, subsequent infringements will result in a five-run penalty for every time-wasting instance.
CPL's tournament operations director, Michael Hall, voiced his perspective, emphasizing cricket stakeholders' duty to maintain the game's momentum. Concerned about T20 games' increasing durations, he expressed hopes that in-game penalties would deter teams from lagging but deemed them "proportionate and necessary."
In an innovative move to keep everyone abreast, the third umpire will supervise over rates. Updates will be relayed to the captains after every over via on-field umpires and to viewers through graphical representations. Concessions will be made for unavoidable delays like injuries and DRS consultations.
Anticipation is building as the men's CPL edition is slated for August 17, followed by the women's event kicking off on August 31.
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