Baxter chases history

– Cricketers could be ‘‘red-carded’’ by umpires and ejected from the ground for the duration of a match from next October after the sport’s lawmakers yesterday recommended on-field sanctions to address declining standards of player behaviour.

The world cricket committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of the game’s laws, has recommended that a player should be removed from the field for threatening an umpire, physical assault or any other act of violence.

Match officials currently report players or incidents to the match referee at the end of the day after which action is taken.

Following a two-day meeting in Mumbai, MCC world cricket committee chairman Mike Brearley said umpires needed to be empowered to impose onthe-spot sanctions.