The MCC has made a few changes to the laws of the game, that includes ‘Mankading’, which was treated as an unfair dismissal, has now been moved to Law 38, alongside other run-outs. Also, new batters will be on strike for the next ball even if the players cross while a catch is taken from 1 October.
Guardians of cricket’s laws and spirit the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), on Tuesday, March 8, announced its new code of laws for 2022, which will come into force from October 1. It is now up to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the respective national cricket associations to accept these changes in cricket. Usually, most suggestions made by the MCC are adopted by them without change or protest.
One of the first changes that the MCC has made is the new batters will be on strike for the next ball even if the players in the middle cross while a catch is taken in all forms of cricket. The change was first seen in The Hundred competition, and is now set to expand across all cricket.
So ideally, the rule change which ensures the new batter is always on strike, is designed to reward the bowler for taking a wicket. The only time a new batter will not face the next ball is if the wicket falls at the end of an over.
‘Mankading’ has been a subject of intense debates with regards to the ‘spirit of the game’ for some time now. But from now on, ‘Mankading’ will not be under the “Unfair play” section, and has now been moved to Law 38, which concerns run-outs.
“Since the publication of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the game has changed in numerous ways. The 2nd edition of that Code, published in 2019, was mostly clarification and minor amendments, but the 2022 Code makes some rather bigger changes, from the way we talk about cricket to the way it’s played,” stated the MCC Laws Manager Fraser Steward.
The ban on using saliva to shine the ball, introduced because of Covid-19 outbreak, will also become a permanent change from October 1. Other amendments include “dead ball” being called if both sides of a match are disadvantaged by a person, animal or object on the field of play.
“The new Laws will not permit the use of saliva on the ball, which also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball. Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball,” the statement issued by MCC read.
