From Third Umpire in Tests to LED stumps and bails, here are some innovations of the ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on April 21, 2020 celebrated World Creativity and Innovation Day by listing out a few innovative ideas that helped transform and enhance the game. Here are a few of them that the world cricket body shared.

1992: Coloured kits at World Cup and Third Umpire in tests

In the 1992 edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, coloured kits were introduced for the first time, along with white cricket balls and black sightscreens. The coloured kits gained widespread popularity after the tournament and the jerseys from that tournament have become iconic. Pakistan went on to win the World Cuo that year while England, who were runners-up donned a similar-looking kit in the 2019 edition, which they won. 

Also, for the first time a third umpire was used in an international match was in the 1992 Kingsmead Test between South Africa and India. Karl Liebenberg was the third umpire when on-field umpire Cyril Mitchley referred a run-out decision during day two of the Test. Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to be dismissed run out by use of TV replay.

2001: Hawk-Eye

It was in 2001 that the Hawk-Eye technology was first used by Channel 4 during a Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's, primarily to track the trajectory of balls in flight. It was used on trial by ICC in 2008, forming a part of the Decision Review System (DRS).

2008: Decision Review System

The first instance of a system to enable player reviews was tested in a Test match between India and Sri Lanka in 2008, and the DRS officially launched later by the ICC during a Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Dunedin in November 2009.

2008: Super Over

Tough the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final is hailed as the greatest final in the history of World Cups by both fans and commentators alike, thanks to the exciting Super Over, the idea was first used in an international match in a 2008 T20I between West Indies and New Zealand, replacing the bowl-out method used previously as a decider for a tied T20I match. 

2012: LED stumps and bails

The zing bails and flashing stumps grabbed plenty of attention when they were introduced during the 2012 Big Bash League. The semi-finals and final of the 2014 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup marked its first use at an ICC event.

2015: Day/Night Test

The first day/night pink-ball Test match took place between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval on November 27, 2015. The exciting and much-anticipated contest was a thrilling affair, with Australia beating New Zealand by three wickets on day three of the Test.

The pacers, in particular, enjoyed bowling with the pink ball, especially at twilight. Hazlewood returned brilliant figures in the second innings, taking 6/70, while New Zealand's Trent Boult too picked up a five-for.

2019: Concussion substitute

Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute, in accordance with a new ICC rule, which permitted like-for-like replacements in the case of a cricketer suffering a concussion. He replaced Steve Smith on the last day of the Lord's Test in the 2019 Ashes series.