What has Cricket Australia changed since the 2024/25 conditions?

The answers in this FAQ come from the 2024-25 playing conditions handbook. Cricket Australia has since announced these changes on cricket.com.au:

• Injury substitutes (2025/26 trial, continuing in 2026/27): a team may replace a player injured or ill up to stumps on day two, and the opposition may make a matching tactical substitute. Each team may make one injury substitute per match, the replacement must match the injured player's role, the match referee approves it, and the replaced player has a mandatory 12-day standdown from national and domestic cricket. The 2026/27 announcement says the trial continues, subject to any change of position from the ICC.
• Session times (2026/27): morning 2 hours, lunch 40 minutes, afternoon 2 hours 15 minutes, tea 20 minutes, evening 1 hour 45 minutes, with an extra 30 minutes available to complete the daily overs. The daily minimum remains 96 overs.
• Pitches (2026/27): curators are told to lean towards the batter when in doubt.
• Points: Cricket Australia says it is not changing the points structure for 2026/27.

Concussion substitutes were unchanged in the 2025/26 announcement.

Sources: cricket.com.au, "Lean towards the batter: CA confirms Sheffield Shield playing condition changes" (25 August 2026) https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4565958 and the 1 October 2025 injury substitute announcement https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4373528