Mumbai: Cricketers could be ‘red-carded’ by umpires and ejected from the ground for the duration of a match after the sport’s lawmakers on Wednesday recommended on-field sanctions to address declining standards of player behavior.
It is likely that law will be applicable from next October. The world cricket committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of the game’s laws, has recommended that a player should be removed from the field for threatening an umpire, physical assault or any other act of violence.
A two-day meeting was held in Mumbai attended by Ramiz Raja and Rickey Pointing and others stalwarts of cricket.
MCC world cricket committee Chairman Mike Brearley said umpires needed to be empowered to impose on-the-spot sanctions, noting that there were more disciplinary problems in the lower-tier leagues.
Match officials currently report players or incidents to the match referee at the end of the day after which action is taken.
