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If you’ve ever watched a cricket warm-up match, possibly before a major ICC tournament, you’ll note that it doesn’t play out like a normal cricket match! Batsmen retire in the middle of the innings, and bowling changes are performed against the run of play. It nearly appears like the rules for a warm-up cricket match in cricket differ from those for a regular match!
A warm-up match follows the same rules as a regular cricket match, with a few exceptions. The captain is not required to announce the starting lineup, and each team is free to rotate players from their 15-man squad while keeping 11 men on the field at all times. The ICC does not consider these matches to be official.
During a warm-up cricket match, there is a lot more going on. In this post, we will learn everything there is to know about warm-up matches, its importance prior to any major ICC event, and the rules that are loosened for such matches.
What is a warm-up match in cricket?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts global competitions such as the ODI World Cup, T20I World Cup, and Champions Trophy, to name a few. These competitions are highly regarded and provide a wonderful platform for players from all around the world to demonstrate their dominance in World cricket.
The ICC organizes warm-up matches soon before the main event to help teams competing in international events to acclimate to the playing conditions. These are regular cricket matches with slightly altered rules to allow teams to experiment with batting and bowling.
How many players are allowed in a warm-up match?
As with previous ICC tournaments, the warm-up matches are the same length as the main tournament – 50 overs for the ODI World Cup and 20 overs for the T20I World Cup. The ICC events require each team to submit a squad of 15 players, all of whom can play in the warm-up matches.
Unlike regular matches, where the captains of the participating teams must announce the starting XI, there is no requirement for such an announcement when the toss occurs in a warm-up match. Captains can send anyone from their 15-man squad to bat, bowl, or field.
What are the Rules for the Batting Team?
Despite the fact that this is a practice match, a batting team can be dismissed in any manner. A team’s 15-man squad usually has 8-9 batsmen, and they want each of their batters to get a chance in the middle.
Thus, it has frequently been seen that batsmen withdraw after reaching a landmark – such as a half-century or a century – to allow other batters to adjust to the conditions. Sometimes batsmen bat out of order, especially if their previous form has been poor, in order to get enough exposure in the middle.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, while the regulations allow for all 15 members of the squad to be fielded, only 11 batsmen are permitted to bat in the match.
This effectively means that, like a normal cricket match, each team is given just ten wickets to play with. The batting side must prioritize which guys will bat in the middle.
What are the Rules for the Bowling Team?
All other cricket regulations apply to bowlers as they are. The 15-member squad usually has 5-6 bowlers, and the bowling teams try to get all of them some bowling practice.
Because only 11 fielders are permitted, bowlers are usually kept on the field to allow the captain to rotate them as needed.
It should be noted, however, that while all 15 members of the team are permitted to bowl, no bowler can bowl more than 10 overs in an ODI or 4 overs in a T20 warm-up game.
Are Runs and Wickets included in the Player Stats?
The runs scored by batters and wickets taken by fielders are not included in the official statistics of the players. It unintentionally relieves the players’ performance pressure and allows them to play freely, which is exactly what warm-ups are intended for.
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