Cricketers will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball whilst the rarely used but entirely allowable ‘Mankad’ method of discharging batters will not be listed under unfair play in new laws ratified by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Cricketers from a long time have used the method of shining one side of the ball with saliva and sweat to aid bowlers generate more movement in the air as it travels towards batters.
The new laws make eternal prohibition on applying saliva to the ball because of health reasons, applied when men’s cricket resumed after a COVID-19 suspension.
The MCC stated it realized through research that the stop over this period barely had impact on the amount of swing that bowlers were getting. Polishing the ball with sweat will still be allowed.
“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,” the MCC stated.
“Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball.”
The Lord’s-based MCC, the only authority on the laws of cricket since it was founded in 1787, stated that the modifications would be effective from 1st of October.
The “Mankad” dismissal includes a bowler opting to remove the bails when a non-striker steps out of the crease rather than completing his delivery to the batter on strike.
The MCC stated that though the wording of the law would not change, it would move from Law 41 (Unfair play) to Law 38 (Run out).
In other changes, the MCC stated when a batter is out, the new player will come in at the end the striker was at and face the next ball until and unless it is the end of an over.
