What is the Net Run Rate for a Forfeit Match?

Question

Can you please let us know how the ICC calculates the “Net run rate” for the both teams, when one team decides to forfeit the match by not showing up? We would like to know what the “Net run rate” awarded to the team that showed up (who are declared as the winners) will be.

Answer 1

Section 21.10.5 of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Playing Conditions covers this situation.

In circumstances where a match (and the points for such match) is awarded to a team as a result of the other team’s refusal to play, either by the umpires in accordance with Law 21.3 (a)(ii) or in accordance with the provisions of the relevant event agreements signed by the participating teams, the net run rate of the defaulting team shall be affected in that the full 50 overs of the defaulting team’s innings in such forfeited match shall be taken into account in calculating the average runs per over of the defaulting team over the course of the relevant portion of the competition. For the avoidance of doubt the runs scored and overs bowled in such forfeited match will not be taken into account when calculating the net run rate of the team to whom the match was awarded.

In effect, 50 overs are added to the denominator of the loser's "scored" run rate, while their "conceded" run rate is unaffected. The winner's run rate is unaffected. This is easier to understand with an example. Suppose Team A doesn't show up for their game against Team B. Then for purpose of calculating net run rate, following data is considered from this game.

Team A (loser)

• Runs Scored: 0 from 50 overs.
• Runs Conceded: 0 from 0 overs.

Team B (winner)

• Runs Scored: 0 from 0 overs.
• Runs Conceded: 0 from 0 overs.

The ICC World Twenty20 2016 Playing Conditions also includes the same rule, the difference being, of course, that instead of 50 overs, 20 overs will be added to the loser's "scored" run rate denominator.

Such forfeiture has occurred a few times in Cricket World Cups:

• In the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Australia and West Indies forfeited their league matches against Sri Lanka due to "security concerns".
• In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand forfeited their match against Kenya due to "security concerns", while England forfeited their match against Zimbabwe due to a certain political controversy.

Note that the above rule wasn't included in the playing conditions for 2003 World Cup and earlier, so in all the above cases, the forfeiting teams conceded "only" the points for the match without affecting their net run rate.