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COVID Backup: India Can Send 30-member Squad For World Test Championship Final

The ICC has allowed seven additional squad members given the prevailing pandemic. India play New Zealand in the WTC final in Southampton in June

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COVID Backup: India Can Send 30-member Squad For World Test Championship Final
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The ICC on Thursday decided to allow seven additional players or support staff to accompany squads for its senior events in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements, a decision which will allow India to travel with a 30-strong squad for the World Test Championship final in June. (More Cricket News)

The decision was taken by the ICC Board after a series of virtual meetings.

"The ICC Board agreed to allow Members to take up to seven additional players and/or support staff to accompany the squad of 23 to ICC senior events where a period of quarantine is required and/or teams are accommodated in a bio-secure bubble," the world body said in a statement.

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The ICC also said it expects the issues of tax arrangements and visa guarantees for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be "resolved over the next month" after receiving an update from the BCCI on "positive discussions with the Indian government."

In women's game, the ICC decided to approve two changes to the women's ODI playing conditions.

"Firstly, the discretionary 5-over batting powerplay has been removed and secondly, all tied matches will be decided by a Super Over," it said.

It was also decided that Test and ODI status shall be permanently awarded to all Full Member women's teams. Additionally, all matches at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games be classified as women's T20 Internationals.

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The Board also decided to postpone the inaugural Women's U19 World Cup, which was due to be held in Bangladesh at the end of the year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the establishment and subsequent development of the U19 programmes in many countries and teams would not be able prepare appropriately for a global event later this year. As such, the inaugural event will now take place in January 2023," the ICC said.

Similarly, the global qualifier for the Women's World Cup 2022 will be held in December this year to allow teams the best possible preparation.

Among other decisions, the ICC has appointed Mel Jones (Cricket Australia) and Catherine Campbell (New Zealand Cricket) as Full Member representatives on its Women's Committee.

The Cricket Committee also discussed "the more general use of replacement players in the international game" following the recent introduction of replacement players for both concussion and COVID-19.

"To better understand the implications of allowing players to be replaced during a match the definition of a first-class match will be changed to allow the unqualified use of replacement players."

The ICC Board also decided to set up a Member Support Fund for Cricket with USD 5 million being made available in grants to support the playing of international cricket.

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The fund will be made available in form of a "co-payment" contribution with a maximum grant of 50 per cent being available for Members upon application.

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