Use Of Saliva To Shine Ball Banned, 'Mankad' Still Allowed

New Delhi: The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced its new code of Laws for 2022. Under these new rules, cricketers will be barred from using saliva to shine the ball while allowing the 'Mankad' method of dismissing batters. These changes will come into effect from 1 October 2022.

The age-old method of shining one side of the ball with saliva and sweat have been frequently used by cricketers. It is done so as to help the bowlers generate more movement in the air as it travels towards the batsman.

The new law to permanently ban the applying of saliva to the ball is due to health reasons. The MCC said that they found through research that the ban will have little to no impact on the amount of swing that the bowlers will get. 

"Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball," the MCC said.

Meanwhile, polishing the ball with sweat has not been ruled out and it will still be permittable.

On the other hand, the "Mankad" refers to the dismissal where a bowler chooses to whip off the bails when a non-striker steps out of the crease. It is named after Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad who dismissed Australia's Bill Brown in a similar fashion back in 1947.

While legal, the dismissal has been deemed as going against the spirit of the game.

In other changes, the MCC said when a batsman is out caught, the incoming batsman will come in at the end of the striker was at and face the next ball unless it is the end of an over.

The MCC which is based in Lord's has been the sole authority on the laws of cricket since it was founded back in 1787. The MCC said that the changes are intended to shape the game of cricket as it "should be played."

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