‘Holistic approach’ needed to curb player misconduct – MCC World Cricket Committee
“It’s been a very constructive two days, not least because the relationship between MCC and ICC has been strengthened as a result,” said Mike Gatting, the former England captain and Chairman of the committee.
“The presentations we received, together with David Richardson’s 2018 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, emphasised the opportunities that exist for our two organisations to work together and I look forward to developing that relationship further.”
Among the major issues that Richardson, the ICC’s Chief Executive, stressed on repeatedly in his lecture was player conduct on and off the field, as well as ball tampering, an issue that has returned to the limelight in recent months.
David Richardson's 2018 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture
The committee back the ICC’s introduction of harsher sanctions for players trying to alter the condition of the ball, and Ricky Ponting, a member of the committee, praised Cricket Australia for handing out the strong penalties to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
The committee said on its website that it believes “a holistic approach is required, starting with international boards taking responsibility for the conduct of their teams, as well as the scheduling of touring programmes to ensure that visiting teams are adequately prepared. This extends to pitch preparation, provision of net bowlers and player socialising.”
One of the other major discussion points was the pace of the game, which has been perceived to have gone down in recent years.
Having examined the ICC’s statistical trends data, the committee expressed concern that over rates in Test and T20 formats had slowed down (Test over rates are the lowest for 11 years and T20 have fallen to their lowest ever level).
An innovative solution has also been proposed in this regard: Shot clocks, “from the moment a bowler reached the top of his mark to the moment the over was completed as well as captains taking greater responsibility”.
“A shot clock probably seems a little extreme but the rates have declined,” said Ponting. “At the end of an over, the fielders and the bowler have to be back in position and ready to bowl by a certain time and that's non-negotiable.”
Ponting also suggested that a more immediate run penalty be administered during the match as a deterrent. “You would imagine captains would then take huge responsibility in making sure their players are in a position to go,” he said. “If, through the course of a game or a day, they're not in position for three or four overs then that could be 20 runs.”
As for women’s cricket, Suzie Bates, the New Zealand captain and a committee member, spoke about including the format in the Global Cricket Strategy, and the big update on that front was that “an ICC Women’s cricket committee, to be responsible for all playing conditions and cricket playing activity, would be set up”.
The ICC’s recent global market research project, which indicate that 64% of cricket fans continue to be supportive of all three formats of the sport was received with happiness by the committee, which “particularly welcomed the news that 87% of respondents to ICC’s recent survey supported cricket in the Olympics, and that it was a goal for ICC to have T20 included in the 2028 Olympic Games”.