ICC to consider relaxing on-field swearing rules

The International Cricket Council is to discuss relaxing its rules around on-field swearing in the wake of Ben Stokes being punished for shouting an obscenity at himself during the second Investec Test against West Indies.

The ICC has been criticised by a string of former players for awarding Stokes one demerit point after he swore in frustration during the second day’s play when West Indies batsman Shai Hope edged a ball between the slips.

Stokes was not swearing at the batsman or the umpire but, because his profanity was picked up by the stump microphone and broadcast live on Sky Sports, the match referee took action. It followed Kagiso Rabada being punished for a similar offence during the Lord’s Test, which led to him being suspended for the next match at Trent Bridge.

But players who swear on the field and are not caught by the stump microphones are much less likely to be punished unless they are directing the foul language at an opponent or official. Stokes is now one point away from a suspension. The ICC has cracked down on player behaviour over the past two years and introduced a new demerit-point system last year.

But The Daily Telegraph understands that at the ICC’S next full board meeting in New Zealand in November, the demerit system will be discussed, with agreement that players should not be punished for swearing at themselves.

Yesterday, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, was picked up by the stump microphone swearing when he had a catch off Dawid Malan dropped. Once again, Sky apologised to viewers and he will face a demerit sanction.

Reaching four demerit points triggers a suspension of one Test match or two ODIS or two T20IS. The points stay on a player’s record for 24 months. If a player then reaches 8-11 demerit points, a suspension of two Tests, or one Test and two ODIS/T20IS, or four ODIS or four T20IS, kicks in.

Michael Vaughan, in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph, accused the ICC of having its priorities wrong. “There are much bigger issues than the odd swear word or two that the ICC is not addressing, such as context for Test cricket and over-rates.”