ICC clarifies what counts and what doesn't

If the ICC says it's official, then it's official © Getty Images

The ICC has issued new guidelines intended to clarifying which games played around the world count in official records and which ones don't. The decision as made during the ICC's AGM in London earlier in the month, but all members had to be circulated before any official announcement could be made.

The ICC was keen to point out that the process involved consultation with Full Member countries and the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.

David Richardson, the ICC's general manager - cricket, said: "The review of the Classification of Official Cricket was very necessary and we are delighted with the results. The adoption of the updated regulations means that everyone, and especially the many people who maintain statistics on the game, now have a clear idea of how to categorise different matches.

"It is important to stress these regulations do not change any past decisions but they will ensure that decisions on the future status of matches will follow agreed guidelines.

"We are extremely grateful to the ACS, particularly David Kendix and Philip Bailey, for its input into this project. The organisation performs an essential role in the cricket world by ensuring accurate records of all first-class and one-day matches are kept and available for publication. The ACS, together with the rest of the cricket world, will benefit from these updated classifications."