Cricketers have used the age-old method of shining one side of the ball with saliva and sweat to help bowlers generate more movement in the air as it travels towards batters.
The new laws make permanent a ban on applying saliva to the ball due to health reasons, implemented when men’s cricket resumed after a Covid-19 suspension in July 2020.
The Lord’s-based MCC, the sole authority on the laws of cricket since it was founded in 1787, said that the changes would be effective from Oct 1, 2022.
Major new codes include:
1- Replacements are to be treated as if they were the player they replaced, inheriting any sanctions or dismissals that player has done in that match.
2- When a batter is out Caught, the new batter shall come in at the end the striker was at, i.e. to face the next ball (unless it is the end of an over).
3- If either side is disadvantaged by a person, animal or other object within the field of play and it has a material impact on the game, the umpires will call and signal Dead ball.
4- If a bowler throws the ball in an attempt to run out the striker before entering their delivery stride, it will now be Dead ball. This is an extremely rare scenario, which has until now been called as a No ball.
5- Wide will apply to where the batter is standing, where the striker has stood at any point since the bowler began their run up, and which would also have passed wide of the striker in a normal batting position.
6- If the ball should land away from the pitch, the striker is allowed to play the ball so long as some part of their bat or person remains within the pitch.
7-Batting side will be awarded 5 Penalty runs if any member of the fielding side moves unfairly.
8- 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.
Here is how Sachin Tendulkar reacted to this:
These laws will come into force from 1st October, 2022.
