The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Tuesday evening released the new code of laws following the submission of a report by its sub-committee last week that has recommended some changes for the 2022 Code. The new rules, the MCC said, will come into force from October 1, 2022.
“Whilst the amendments are being announced now, they will not come into force until October. However, in the intervening time the relevant materials will be updated by MCC to assist with umpire and official training on a global basis,” it said, adding the changes “are intended to shape the game of cricket as it should be played.”
The MCC has also imposed a ban on the use of salvia and it will now be called ‘ball tampering’.
“When cricket resumed following the onset of Covid-19, playing conditions were written in most forms of the game stating that applying saliva to the ball was no longer permitted,” it said.
“MCC’s research found that this had little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting. Players were using sweat to polish the ball, and this was equally effective,” it added.
