ICC Introduces New Two-Ball Rule and Concussion Substitute Protocol in Cricket

Significant Changes in Cricket Regulations
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially sanctioned modifications to the two-ball rule in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and the concussion substitute protocol applicable to all men's international cricket formats, as reported by a leading sports news outlet.
These updated playing conditions, which received endorsement from the ICC's men's cricket committee and the chief executives committee, will be implemented starting June 17 for Test matches, July 2 for ODIs, and July 10 for T20Is.
Currently, in men's ODIs, two new balls are utilized per innings, one from each end. Under the revised rules, two balls will be in play from the beginning of the innings until the conclusion of the 34th over. After this point, the bowling team will select one of the two balls to use from overs 35 to 50.
The ICC has stated that this adjustment aims to "readdress the balance between bat and ball." If an ODI match is shortened to 25 overs or fewer before the first innings, the bowling team will only have one new ball for the entire innings.
Additionally, the new concussion protocols require teams to submit a list of substitute players to the match referee prior to the game. This list must include one wicketkeeper, one batter, one seam bowler, one spin bowler, and one all-rounder.
Earlier this year, during the fourth T20I against England, India utilized a concussion substitute, replacing all-rounder Shivam Dube with pacer Harshit Rana, who went on to take 3 wickets for 33 runs, leading to a victory. The match referee's approval of this substitute sparked considerable debate and criticism. The new requirement for specific roles in the concussion replacement list aims to mitigate such controversies.
If the substitute player also suffers a concussion, the match referee will consider a player outside the initial five names provided, adhering to the existing like-for-like replacement protocol.