MCC, the Guardian of the Laws of Cricket, is to trial new on-field sanctions including penalty runs and the removal of players from the field in an attempt to arrest declining standards of player behavior.
If this proves to be a success, countries around the world could adopt the rules. Not just Bermuda, but many other countries including Test Playing Nations have seen players misbehave and altercations threaten the game.
Matches in Bermuda have come under criticism, because of the behavior of some players, last season saw the Eastern County Controversy, the incident at Lord’s in St. David’s filmed by www.islandstats.com go global, there was also an incident that saw a match at Southampton Oval halted.
MCC has used the ECB’s Code of Conduct Levels of 1 to 4 as a guide to what behavior constitutes what level of breach, with some minor alterations, but is also encouraging flexibility in order to gain a broad range of feedback.
The trials are part of a thorough review of the Laws of Cricket being undertaken by the Club with a view to publishing a new Code of the Laws (the first since 2000) in October 2017.
MCC's guidelines to Umpires for trial sanctions
Level 4 offences:
(a) Threatening an umpire or referee;
(b) Physical assault of another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator;
(c) Any act of violence on the field of play;
(d) using language or gesture that seriously offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion or belief, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or background.
Suggested sanctions:
Player is sent off the field for the remainder of the match. If he refuses to go, the captain will be warned that it would constitute a refusal to play. Additional 5 run penalty and report. If it is a batsman who committed the offence, he is Retired out; and if 9 wickets are down, his team are all out. Umpires instruct captain to remove player, or vice-captain/senior player if it is the captain who is the offender.
NB If the captain is already suspended, then his nominated deputy on the field is to be used.
Level 3 offences:
(a) intimidating an umpire or referee;
(b) threatening to assault another player, team official or spectator;
(c)using language or gesture that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion or belief, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or background;
(d) deliberately bowling a high full pitched ball which is deemed dangerous and unfair as defined in Law 42.6(b).
Suggested sanctions:
Player is sent off for 10 overs of playing time or 20% of that innings’ overs, whichever is fewer. Any unexpired penance time is carried forward to next innings. Additional 5 run penalty and report. If a fielder, he can bowl immediately upon his return. If a batsman, he is Retired not out, and if 9 wickets are down his team is all out. He may return at the fall of the next wicket after his suspension has been fully served or if one of the current batsmen is Retired out. Umpires instruct captain to remove player, or vice-captain/senior player if captain is the offender.
