MCC lay down law on bad behaviour (26 August 1999)

26 August 1999

MCC lay down law on bad behaviour

Charles Randall

Penalty runs are to be introduced into the laws of cricket next year to give umpires more power to deal with loutish on-field behaviour, which has been on the increase.

Lingering chatter from close catchers, for example, could cost five extra runs if the umpire deems their behaviour to be offputting to the batsman. A bowler attempting to barge into a running batsmen could find himself in similar trouble.

The MCC, in their role as custodians of the laws, are to give umpires unprecedented authority, even though they have stopped short of arming them with the power to send players off.

An umpire repeatedly tapping his shoulder with the opposite hand will be a new sight. This signal is to inform the scorer of the five additional runs to the striker if the ball is hit - nine for a boundary, for example - or to the extras if appropriate or simply to a new column in the book called 'penalty extras'.

The penalty run infringements against the fielding side under Law 42, plus a disallowed appeal, will include wilful distraction of the batsmen, wilful obstruction or attempted obstruction.

Batsmen could be punished in the same way for stealing a run before the bowler enters his delivery stride, for time-wasting or for pitch damage. Only one warning will be given.

A number of other law changes are to be introduced, according to a final draft which was discussed at Lord's last night, such as adding scored runs to extras, defining and dealing with dangerous bowling more tightly and restricting outsized wicketkeeping glove webbing.

Meanwhile, the MCC are being urged to update the law of cricket to determine the difference between a legal delivery and a throw.

The International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richards confirmed changes will be recommended following the conclusion yesterday of a meeting of the advisory panel on illegal deliveries at Lord's.

Law 24.2, governing the calling of a throw, only defines an illegal delivery.

The ICC spokesman Clive Hitchcock outlined two possible definitions of a legal delivery.

"One is that a fair delivery should be judged as long as the arm is not straightened from its highest point," he said. "The other is that the arm must remain in an unchanged position from the shoulder onwards to the point of release."

Pakistan have named former captains Aamir Sohail and Rashid Latif in a squad of 24 for a training camp for next month's three-match series against West Indies in Toronto. Sohail, 33, was sacked as captain last November after Zimbabwe beat them at Peshawar. Latif, 31, was dismissed in March after tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)