Cricket going football’s way? MCC for red card
MUMBAI: Cricket’s image as the ‘gentleman’s game’ will be put in perspective if drastic rule changes suggested by the Marylebone Cricket Club, guardians of the game’s laws, are enacted.
In a bid to address frequent breach of discipline on the field, the MCC, in a two-day world committee meeting which ended here on Wednesday, has suggested empowering umpires to red-card players for unruly behaviour. Currently, only the captain can ask the player to leave. The other major recommendation was to rein in the use of monstrous bats that are leaving bowlers overwhelmed.
The MCC committee also decided not to change the balltampering law despite the recent controversy involving South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis.
The MCC recommendations will become law if approved by its main committee. The rules are likely to come into effect in October next year.
The MCC world cricket committee headed by former England skipper, Mike Brearley, recommended on Wednesday that the width of the bat’s edge be restricted to a maximum of 40mm and depth to a maximum 67mm. Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, a member of the MCC committee, said the restriction on bat size was due to concerns over even mishits going to the fence.
“Over 60 per cent of the current players were concerned about where the size of the bat is going,” Ponting said.