In international cricket, the use of saliva on the ball will now be considered ball tampering, while mankading will be considered an official run out. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) announced amendments to the rules of international cricket on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. These laws will be implemented after October 1 this year. This means that the rules of cricket will change before the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia.
Mankading is referred to in the Laws of the Game as ‘running out the nonstriker’. This means that the batsman is run out by the bowler while proceeding from his crease at the nonstriker’s end. There has been controversy over Mankading for a long time. In the opinion of many cricket experts, this is against the spirit of the game.
The MCC has amended Section 41.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Now the use of spit has been banned in cricket to shine the ball. Earlier it was implemented only because of COVID-19. Now MCC is making it a law. Players were using sweat to shine the ball. It was equally effective.
The new law will not allow the application of saliva on the ball. Actually, players use sugar products to apply their saliva on the ball. In this case, the use of saliva on the ball will be treated as if any other improper method of changing the position of the ball is used.
MCC has ICC Section 18 has also been amended. According to the new rule, after the dismissal of any player, only the new player who comes on the field will take the strike. Even if the strike of the players has changed before the fall of the wicket.
Until now, if the batsman who put the shot had reached the other end or had crossed half the crease before being caught out, then the new batsman remained at the non-striker end. Now in case of any dismissal, only the new player will take the strike.
MCC dead ball Rule Has also changed. If any person, animal or other object on the field of the match causes damage to either side, it shall be considered a dead ball. The umpire shall call and signal a dead ball if the game is affected by a sudden fan on the field or by the sudden arrival of a dog or other animal.
When the batsman at the non-strike end leaves the crease before the bowler bowls the ball and the bowler stops the hand and drops the bails of that end, it is called Mankading. Jos Buttler was the first batsman to be dismissed in this manner in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During a test match between India and Australia, Vinoo Mankad of India had dismissed Will Brown of Australia in a similar manner. Since then this method was called ‘Mankading’ on the basis of Vinu’s surname.
This rule applies in cricket, but opinion is divided. Some knowledgeable and former players are in favor of this, while some say that this method of dismissing the batsman is against the spirit of the game.