Mankading no longer unfair play; MCC makes big changes to laws of cricket

In a big development, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) decided to come up with new rules which are expected to be implemented from October 1, 2022. The MCC decided that the controversial Mankad dismissal will no longer be called unfair.

Stand on Mankad dismissal

"The bowler is always painted as the villain but it is a legitimate way to dismiss someone and it is the non-striker who is stealing the ground," Fraser Stewart, MCC Laws Manager, told the Times.

"It is legitimate, it is a run-out and therefore it should live in the run-out section of the laws."

In an MCC press release, Stewart said that the 2022 Code makes some "rather big changes."

“Since the publication of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the game has changed in numerous ways. The 2nd edition of that Code, published in 2019, was mostly clarification and minor amendments, but the 2022 Code makes some rather bigger changes, from the way we talk about cricket to the way it's played,” Stewart said in an MCC press release.

No saliva

Moreover, the changes will permanently ban use of saliva in order to shine the ball. According to the official statement, using saliva “will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball.”

"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," the statement from MCC read.

It is also important to mention that the new rules will also see some major changes to the dead ball law.

“The new edition sees several changes to the Dead ball Law, the most significant of which is the calling of Dead ball if either side is disadvantaged by a person, animal or other object within the field of play. From a pitch invader to a dog running onto the field, sometimes there is outside interference - if this is the case, and it has a material impact on the game, the umpires will call and signal Dead ball.”