Please see below the 3rd and final mail sent to all club contacts regarding Player Behaviour in 2022. The message is very clear. ‘Respect your opponents and match officials and play in the Spirit of Cricket.’ Players who do not do so will face sanctions. Clubs who fail to control their players will also face team and whole club sanctions as the WDCU/CSMOA strive to tackle this issue.
Good afternoon,
The final of the three joint communications from WDCU and CSMOA regarding Player Behaviour concentrates on the MCC Laws of the game and in particular Law 41 and 42.
Every player should make the effort to have a working knowledge of the Laws and Captains should make the extra effort to have a sound knowledge of the Laws. These are freely available on the internet and in book form.
Attached with this mail is a series of slides produced by CSMOA that you should share with your players and make available on your social media platforms.
The key points are:
- The world of umpiring changed in 2019 with significant change to the Laws of Cricket.
- New laws – 41 Unfair Play and – 42 Player’s Conduct were introduced
- On field sanctions were introduced leading to penalty runs being deducted and/or player suspensions during the match being handed down for more serious or repeat offences .These are designed to improve players behaviour and WDCU and CSMOA support this.
Details of the clauses, levels and offences are contained in the slides.
These changes reinforce that the umpire is firmly in charge of the game and CSMOA has trained and encouraged umpires to consistently apply all the laws. Whilst umpires have had training emphasising the need for good match management, the onus remains on players not to put the umpires in a position where they have no option but to apply Laws 41 and 42.
Laws 41 and 42 do not apply in games without appointed umpire(s). However, WDCU expect to see just as high a standard of conduct in these games and that captains and clubs have a responsibility for ensuring this.
What does that mean for Players?
- Words or actions that were once deemed part of the game can now be a discipline offence. – ‘Sledging in all forms is unacceptable and should be avoided’
- Just in the way a No-Ball is accepted, the offences contained in Law 41 and 42 need to be accepted.
- Be prepared for the worst scenario, accept the best.
So to conclude our three joint communications on player behavior, the message from the WDCU and CSMOA is repeated: ‘Respect your opponents and match officials and play in the Spirit of Cricket.’
Players who do not do so will face sanctions. Clubs who fail to control their players will also face team and whole club sanctions as the WDCU/CSMOA strive to tackle this issue.
Regards Iain
WDCU Administrator.