CPL 2023 to have stricter penalties for over-rate breaches

For the first time, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) - both men's and women's competition - will impose a heavy penalty on the teams who fall behind the over-rate. A red card-like penalty will be imposed for the first time ever if the fielding side is behind schedule at the start of the 20th over.

Recently, we have seen an extra fielder coming into the circle if the fielding team have passed the deadline - in T20 leagues and in T20 Internationals (T20I). However, the CPL has gone one step further, wherein there are chances of even two extra fielders getting into the circle and one player sent off.

Over-rate penalties in CPL 2023 - Men's and Women's - are as follows:

If behind the required over rate at the start of the 18th over, one additional player must enter the fielding circle - for a total of five players inside the circle

If behind the rate at the start of the 19th over, two additional fielders must enter the fielding circle - for a total of six inside the circle

If behind the rate at the start of the final over, teams will lose a player from the field - selected by the captain - and have six inside the fielding circle.

Moreover, the batting side could also be slapped with a five-run penalty if they fail to keep the game moving after a warning from the umpires. In fact, if the batting side is found guilty of wasting time after the first warning, they will be handed a five-run penalty for each instance after that.

In T20 cricket, a team is given 85 minutes to wrap up an innings. The 17th over of the innings must finish by 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the 18th by 76 minutes and 30 seconds, and the 19th by 80 minutes and 45 seconds before the last over ends within 85 minutes.

"We have been disappointed that our T20 games have been getting longer and longer each year, and we want to do what we can to arrest this trend," CPL's tournament operations director Michael Hall, said in a statement.

"It is the duty of those involved in cricket to ensure that the game keeps moving, and we have sensitised both the franchises and our match officials to this duty ahead of the tournament. Our hope is that these in-game penalties are not needed, but we believe they are proportionate and necessary."

Speaking of the over-rate penalties, he said, "Over rates will be monitored by the third umpire and communicated to the captains via on-field umpires at the end of every over, as well as to the crowd and TV audience, with graphics showing how far they are behind (or ahead of) the over rate. Dispensations will be given for injuries, DRS and time-wasting by the batting side where appropriate."

The men's edition of CPL 2023 will get underway from August 17 with Jamaica Tallawahs taking on St Lucia Kings in Gros Islet, while the women's edition will begin a couple of weeks later on August 31 with Barbados Royals set to take on Guyana Amazon Warriors in Barbados.