In an attempt to ensure the much-needed balance between bat and ball in cricket, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), on Monday (March 6), announced a new law that will put a restriction to the thickness of bats. The MCC has also introduced a new rule that will give umpires the authority to send players off for serious breaches of behaviour. The new rules will come into effect from October 2017.
According to the new rules, the bat cannot be more than 108mm in width, 67mm in depth with 40mm edges. A bat gauge will be used to ensure the rules are followed. The new regulations for bats have been introduced after the MCC consulted the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, International Cricket Council, MCC World Cricket committee, umpires’ associations and other global governing bodies.
“The bat size issue has been heavily scrutinised and discussed in recent years. We believe the maximum dimensions we have set will help redress the balance between bat and ball, while still allowing the explosive, big hitting we all enjoy,” the MCC’s head of cricket John Stephenson explained in an MCC statement.
The MCC has also introduced four levels of sanction for player’s poor behaviour during the match. If a player is found guilty of Level 3 or Level 4 offence by the on-field umpire, he can be temporarily or permanently removed from the match in addition to a five-run penalty while a Level 1 charge will see him getting a warning which can turn into a five-run penalty if the same mistake is repeated again. The Level 2 charges will see the team being handed a five-run penalty immediately.
“We felt the time had come to introduce sanctions for poor player behaviour and research told us that a growing number of umpires at grass roots level were leaving the game because of it,” Stephenson said. “Hopefully these sanctions will give them more confidence to handle disciplinary issues efficiently, whilst providing a deterrent to the players.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council is yet to accept the new regulations but the MCC is confident of getting a green light from the game’s governing body.
Umpire Sanctions under the new Code as stated by the MCC:
Level 1
Offences include excessive appealing and showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. Following an official warning, a second Level 1 offence will result in five penalty runs being awarded to the opposing team.
Level 2
Offences (including throwing the ball at a player or making deliberate physical contact with an opponent during play), will result in the immediate awarding of five penalty runs to the opposing team.
Level 3
Offences (including intimidating an umpire or threatening to assault another player, team official or spectator) will result in five penalty runs and a removal of the offending player from the field for a set number of overs, depending on the format of the match.
Level 4
Offences (threatening an umpire or committing any act of violence on the field of play), will result in five penalty runs and the removal of the offending player for the remainder of the match. If the player is batting at the time of the offence, he/she will be recorded as ‘retired out’.