As part of the reforms, the MCC is changing the laws of the cricket to clear the so-called Mankad dismissals, where a bowler runs out the non-striker if he leaves the crease before the ball is delivered, as legitimate. Earlier it was termed as “unfair play”.
The law changes also permanently prohibit the use of saliva on the ball, which had been tempor- arily banned during the pandemic, give bowlers more leeway on wides when a batsmen is mov- ing around the crease and stop the non-striker crossing to claim the strike when a batsman is out caught.
Mankading, named after the Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, who used the method against Australia in 1947, has always been officially allowed but has often been a source of controversy, with many believing it is against the spirit of the game. But from October 1, when the new laws come in, it will be moved from “unfair play” to the dismissals section on “run-outs”.
Fraser Stewart, the head of the laws department at MCC, said: “It is a run-out but it has always been in the unfair play law and we questioned, why is it unfair? “It is legitimate, it is a run-out and therefore it should live in the run-out section of the laws. Before this change, this was the only way you could be out that wasn’t in the dismissals section.”
