Tendulkar's idea to be implemented by ECB

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion of splitting the ODIs into two equal halves of 25 overs each, is to be implemented not by the BCCI but by its English counterpart ECB.

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday decided the format for the two-innings 40-over trial to be played in Second Xl cricket in the coming English domestic season involving 18 first class counties.

As per the playing conditions each innings of 40 overs will be split into two phases of 20 overs and each team have 10 wickets at its disposal for its entire innings, a media release from the ECB said.

A team's second phase will continue from the point at which the first phase ended.

There would be 20 overs of power plays, 10 of which will be the first 10 overs with the other 10 split into two blocks of five, one taken at the fielding team's discretion, the other at the batting team's discretion.

Pink cricket balls and white clothing will be used to understand more about the performance of pink balls in the local conditions, along with how they combine with white clothing, the release explained.

Special provision has been made in the playing conditions for the re-allocation of overs in interrupted matches to take account of the two-phase nature of each innings.

Duckworth-Lewis Method would apply in matches where overs are lost after the commencement of the match, the release added.

The concept of split innings in ODI was proposed by Tendulkar last year.