The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the rule making a body for the game of cricket has recently issued news citing a new code of laws that will limit the thickness of the bat, keeping in mind the ever-growing debate over the increasing supremacy of bat over ball.
The debate came at its peak since the advent of T-20 cricket, where the batsmen start hitting from the very first ball. It means that the likes of Dhoni, Warner, and Gayle to name a few will now have to bank on a thinner bat compared to before. the new rule will come into force on October 1. To start off, the changes will be made in the professional game and then it will be phased into the amateur cricket.
The dimensions of a cricket bat will now reduce to 108 millimeters for width, 67 millimeter in depth and 40 millimeters for the edges. It has also been mentioned that a bat gauge will be used by the umpires to ensure that the new rules are adhered to in the professional game.
“We felt the time was right for a new code to tidy up many of the piecemeal changes made since 2000, the bat size issue has been heavily scrutinized and discussed. We believe the maximum dimensions we have set will help redress the balance between bat and ball, while still allowing the explosive, big hitting we all enjoy.” John Stephenson, the MCC’s head of cricket said.
The changes that are being made has been looked into for many days by the MCC’s cricket committee comprising of former international cricketers including former test captains like Mike Brearley of England and Ricky Pointing of Australia.
Marylebone Cricket Club generally known as MCC was founded in 1787, and since 1814 MCC has its base at Lords Cricket Ground which it owns. In 1788, MCC took the onus for ownership and maintenance of the Laws of Cricket, issuing a revised version that year.
