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Red cards could be coming to a cricket field near you by the end of 2017 if the MCC world cricket committee’s proposed changes to the laws of the game are ratified.
The introduction of a red card was one of a number of recommendations made by the world cricket committee, alongside placing a limit on the size of cricket bats, allowing batsmen to be given out after being caught off a fielder’s helmet, and making cricket an Olympic sport by 2024.
However, the committee did not recommend making any changes to the law governing ball tampering, claiming the current rules are clear enough.
Ball tampering was placed under the spotlight following South Africa’s demolition of Australia in the second Test at Hobart, with Proteas captain Faf du Plessis caught by Channel Nine’s cameras using a mint to help shine the ball.
Du Plessis was later found guilty of ball tampering by the ICC and hit with a fine, although he is appealing his decision.
Regardless of the decision, the case raised issues around what an “artificial substance” is, and what exactly comprised ball tampering. However, the world cricket committee argued that specifying certain substances as prohibited would not help the matter.
“To try to be too prescriptive by listing banned substances would be counterproductive, as something will be missed in the process of such drafting,” the committee said in a statement.
The proposed introduction of the send-off law is designed to reduce the instances of violence and other “serious disciplinary breaches.” While not an issue currently plaguing top-tier cricket, it has got “completely out of hand” at park and grade levels, according to Ricky Ponting, who sits on the world cricket committee.
“We have got to the stage that something had to be done to prevent these things happening,” the former Australian captain said.
The recommendation is designed to remedy cricket’s current position of it being one of the few sports without any on-field ramifications for illegal behaviour – players can, in theory, fight with another player or verbally abuse an umpire and continue playing unhindered – however, the red card would be reserved for the most serious offences.
However, it’s unlikely to make an appearance in international cricket. Ponting and world cricket committee chairman Mike Brearley could only identify a single incident in an international match that would merit a red card – Dennis Lillee’s infamous run-in with Javed Miandad at the WACA during the 1980s.
Brearly said the recommendations would help protect umpires and ensure they remain respected.
“A recent survey by Portsmouth University showed that 40 per cent of British umpires were considering giving up because of verbal abuse,” the former England captain said.
“And anecdotal evidence from people familiar with leagues in part of England suggests that on-field behaviour is much worse than it was.
“The umpires have to be respected.”
Unlike in football and rugby, the recommendation does not include the inclusion of a yellow card for less grievous breaches, although an appendix to the law would allow individual organisations to create such a punishment for their own competitions.
The restrictions on the size of bats would, however, apply to all cricket competitions.
While the recommendation isn’t designed to “turn the clocks back too far,” it will seek to address to current imbalance between bat and ball by restricting the maximum edge size to 40mm and the maximum total depth of the bat to 67mm.
“The committee… wants to draw a line in the sand and target mis-hits that are clearing the boundary ropes for six,” the committee said.
“Many of the top players’ bats have edges of between 38mm and 42mm, but there are some which have edges of up to 50mm, which was felt to be excessive and in need of restriction.”
The other mooted change to the laws would see batsmen able to be dismissed via a catch or stumping even if the ball hits a helmet worn by a fielder or the wicketkeeper. Under the current laws, any stumpings or catches are given ‘not out’ if the ball his a helmet.
The full MCC committee will now meet in February of next year to decide whether or not to ratify the recommendations. Should they decide in favour of the proposed amendments – and it is the commonly-held belief that is exactly what will happen – they will then become part of the official Laws of the Game on Ovtober 1, 2017.
All law changes are automatically adopted by the ICC in their Playing Handbook – the rules which international cricket are played under. However, the ICC could choose to not accept the changes, and instead amend the handbook to not include the amendments.
You can find the full statement from the MCC’s world cricket committee here.