The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Tuesday announced its new code of laws for 2022, making significant changes for the first time since 2017. The changes will see the 'no saliva' rule becoming a permanent fixture in world cricket, and also the infamous 'mankad' being moved from the 'unfair play' category to the 'run out' section.

One of the most controversial modes of dismissals in cricket, 'Mankad', has now been changed into an official mode of dismissal and will not be considered 'unfair play'. The MCC has said that the law has been moved from the 'unfair play' category to the 'run out' section. This is aimed at ending the negative connotations surrounding 'Mankad', often used to blame the bowler rather than an over-stepped non-striker.

Until now, ‘Mankading’ was treated as an unfair mode of dismissal but it has now been moved to Law 38, which concerns run-outs. The wording of the law, however, remains the same.

It is now upto the International Cricket Council (ICC) and national cricket associations to accept these changes. Normally, most suggestions made by the MCC are adopted without change or protest.

One of the new changes will see new batters taking the strike for the next delivery even if the previous pair had crossed while the catch was being taken. The law was first introduced in The Hundred tournament last year at the request of the MCC. The law has been amended to provide bowlers with the advantage of taking a wicket.

“Since the publication of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the game has changed in numerous ways. The 2nd edition of that Code, published in 2019, was mostly clarification and minor amendments, but the 2022 Code makes some rather bigger changes, from the way we talk about cricket to the way it's played,” stated the MCC Laws Manager Fraser Steward.

The 'no saliva' rule, which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been converted into a permanent fixture and will now be applicable in all ICC-approved matches. The MCC has said that using saliva to shine the ball will be treated the same way as any other unfair method of changing the condition of the ball. The law will also bring an end to the instances of fielders eating sugary substances to alter their saliva to shine the ball. The ban on using saliva to shine the ball, introduced because of Covid-19 outbreak, will also become a permanent change from October 1

Batters returning when Caught - First trialled by the ECB in The Hundred at the suggestion of MCC, Law 18.11 has now been changed so that, when a batter is out Caught, the new batter shall come in at the end the striker was at, i.e. to face the next ball (unless it is the end of an over).

The new edition sees several changes to the Dead ball Law, the most significant of which is the calling of Dead ball if either side is disadvantaged by a person, animal or other object within the field of play.From a pitch invader to a dog running onto the field, sometimes there is outside interference – if this is the case, and it has a material impact on the game, the umpires will call and signal Dead ball.

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