The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced its new set of lawswhich will come into effect on 1 October. One of the key changes was a total ban on spitting on the ball regardless of the Covid situation. The MCC, the enforcers of the Laws of Cricket, also adopted Munkading (or Browned as Sunil Gavaskar calls it) as the normal way to kick a non-hitter by removing him from Rule 41 (Foul Play) and bludgeoning him. 38 (runs out).
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Mankading, fair and square
In 1948, when legendary Indian all-rounder Vinu Mankad beat Australian Bill Brown at the back of a no-hitter, duly warning the latter for going too far, he was heavily criticized and the phrase Mankading was coined. This was despite then-Australia captain Don Bradman defending Mancad, who ejected Brown for stealing a few yards.
However, the so-called game of gentlemen has always frowned upon this mode of dismissal, and as recently as 2019, Ravichandran Ashwin came under fire from flak “for actions contrary to the spirit of cricket” after launching Jos. Butler came out this way during an Indian Premier League game between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The Indian striker has always maintained that he did not use dishonest means given that the non-hitter was trying to steal a few yards. Now the MCC has confirmed Ashwin’s position.
“Rule 41.16 – A non-hitter running out – has been moved from Rule 41 (Foul play) to Rule 38 (Running out),” the post reads. To put it simply, it is now just another way to run out, although it remains to be seen if the cricket governing body still allows the use of the word Mankading as it is disrespectful to the legend of the game.
Why is the use of saliva prohibited?
The MCC said in a statement: “When cricket resumed following the advent of Covid-19, most forms of the game had rules of the game written out stating that spitting on the ball was no longer allowed. The MCC study found that this had little to no effect on the number of bowlers hitting. The players polished the ball afterwards, and it was no less effective.”
Why did bowlers put saliva on the ball?
Bowlers have used saliva since time immemorial to polish the ball. Until the mid-1970s, this helped regular swing. In the latter half of that decade, former Pakistani bowler Sarfraz Nawaz discovered a backswing that allowed seamers to move an old ball the other way.
The new ball moves in both directions due to the sheen, depending on the grip and the position of the seam. The introduction of the backswing resulted in players holding one side of the ball shiny and the other rough, and applying saliva and/or sweat to the rough side. Gradually, a lot of work was done on it, which made it a popular weapon for fast bowlers with an old ball, especially in abrasive conditions. In the case of a backswing, the ball does not move towards the rougher one, but deviates towards the smooth one. Thus, it becomes important that one side of the ball is rough and heavy, and the application of saliva contributes to this.
Does a bowler lose anything without using saliva?
“Absolutely nothing,” former South African athlete Fanie de Villiers told The Indian Express a couple of years ago after the International Cricket Council imposed a saliva ban. Sweat can be effective both in making the ball shine and in making the rough side heavier. “In sweat, you have a natural replacement,” de Villiers said, pointing out that very few players used saliva while the vast majority used sweat.
The MCC stated, “The new laws do not allow the use of saliva on the ball, which also removes any gray areas of fielders who eat sugary sweets to change their saliva to be applied to the ball.” So from now on, the use of saliva will be considered an insult, an attempt to change the state of the ball.
What other changes?
Among other changes, “Judging by the wide” looks interesting. Until now, batters have had free rein to shuffle the crease, and in accordance with his/her position, wide has been declared when the bowler enters his pitch. “It was considered unfair that a pitch could be called ‘wide’ if it went where the batter was standing when the bowler began his pitch,” MCC said.
The amendment to Rule 22.1 provides that a throw is called based on where the offensive player is standing when the ball passes him/her.
For example, suppose the batter takes the stump guard and shuffles into the crease to play a wide yorker. Formerly, if he/she remained on the normal “one foot” until the bowler entered his pitching step and then moved and missed the ball, it would be called wide. Now the batter no longer has that freedom of action. During a shuffle, if the batter is close enough to the ball despite not hitting it, the referee will not call it wide.
cross bunker
This can affect death overs in limited overs cricket as well as farm strikes, mostly in the longer format. There will be no more transition to throw and the new batter will take the hit unless it is the end of the over. Under the old law, if the batters ran between the wickets while the ball was being tackled, the non-hitter would meet the next ball. After the change, the MCC stated: “Rule 18.11, first tried by the ECB in the 100 at the suggestion of the MCC, has now been changed so that when a batter is out of the game, a new batter must appear at the end when the striker was at, i.e. facing the next ball (unless it is the end of the over).”
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