Posted: June 26, 2009

 

 

 

The Management Board has again issued a warning to players over aggressive and unnecessary appealing.

It is a move supported by the JCT 600 Bradford League Umpires Association and urges all clubs and captains to ensure they play their part in stamping out this unacceptable conduct.

Captains are responsible under the ECB's Spirit of Cricket for ensuring that their players do not appeal when they know a player is not out, or move aggressively towards an umpire when appealing. If they don't heed the warning they and the players responsible will be liable to disciplinary action.

Members of the Management Board expressed their deep concern about aggressive and unnecessary appealing and felt that the amount foul language being directed at opponents and umpires needed stamping out.

JCT 600 Bradford League president Keith Moss has noticed during his tour around the league's ground a worrying trend. He said: "It is ludicrous the way some teams are repeatedly appealing in an aggressive manner. There are even players yelling at the tops of their voices from the boundary when clearly they cannot have a clue about what has happened."

Chairman Graham Reid added: "Captains and clubs must tell their players that this is unacceptable. It has to be stopped and we must make sure that the message is clear that we will not tolerate it."

The Management Board is to instruct umpires to report any captain or player who is guilty of aggressive, persistent on frivolous appealing. They will also e-mailing each club with the directive.

Any player reported will face disciplinary action for breach of clause 1.2.5 of the ECB Spirit of Cricket.

Members of the board will also be monitoring appealing at the matches they attend and will have the power to report players too.

The league's decision comes in a season in which the MCC, ECB and PCA have agreed to work together with other stakeholders to improve discipline in cricket.

The ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission, chaired by Gerard Elias QC, set up a working party to examine the disciplinary and appeals process in the recreational game.

This resulted in a change in the standard of proof in all cricket disciplinary hearings, so that it mirrored civil rather than criminal law – i.e. on the balance of probabilities rather than beyond reasonable doubt, thereby allowing cases to be heard and decisions made more swiftly.

Giles Clarke, chairman of the ECB, is keen ensure recreational cricketers "protect the fabric of the sport"

In addition, a system akin to football, where red and yellow cards are issued to badly behaved players, has been considered but dismissed.

It was agreed that the Laws of Cricket are in place for all games of cricket, often between teams who provide their own umpires, sometimes chosen from amongst the batting team and that in these cases it would not be possible to introduce red and yellow cards for the use of umpires.

Furthermore, even in more regulated cricket up to and including first-class level, it was felt that the use of yellow cards undermines the role of the captain and his responsibilities under One Game and the Spirit of Cricket.

Giles Clarke, chairman of the ECB, said: "It is important for the ECB to take a strong line in maintaining or restoring discipline through the education of coaches, umpires and captains, imposing sanctions where necessary and taking a consistent, firm stance to ensure that standards in cricket are high.

"The ECB’s One Game campaign ensures all those involved in cricket uphold the shared values of respect, pride and passion to ensure that we are united in protecting the fabric of our sport."

Keith Bradshaw, secretary and chief executive of MCC, added: "Cricket needs to be acknowledged as a fully inclusive sport which insists upon and instils the highest standards of behaviour in players.

"MCC inserted the Spirit of Cricket as the preamble to the Laws of Cricket in 2000 and has worked in promoting the concept ever since, through its own playing programme, overseas tours, the annual Cowdrey Lecture and various initiatives aimed at schoolchildren."

Mike Gatting,head of cricket partnerships at the ECB, revealed that fair play leagues will be published in club cricket

"MCC firmly believes that the responsibility for upholding the Spirit of Cricket must lie with the captains."

Sean Morris, chief executive of the PCA, added it is important for all parts of the game to be aligned and recognise that we all have a responsibility to promote the game in the best possible way.

Roger Knight, chairman of the ECB Association of Cricket Officials and a former MCC secretary and chief executive, said: "In 2000, MCC decided that red and yellow cards were not the answer to ill-discipline and did not introduce them into the new edition of the Laws.

"Those Laws were agreed by the MCC Cricket Committee, MCC members and the International Cricket Council, who were consulted throughout the two years of redrafting.

"It is hard to see what has changed in the last eight years to reverse that decision. Any statement or decision which alters that position changes the whole relationship between captains, players and umpires."

Looking ahead, the plan for the future improvement of behavioural standards is to influence young players through their coaches.

Mike Gatting, head of cricket partnerships at the ECB, pointed out how this would be done: "ECB will be using the Sky Sports Coach Education Programme which provides best practice and advice to 13,000 coaches in England and Wales to ensure that the correct standards are instilled into the cricketers of the future.

"Furthermore, published fair play leagues within Premier Leagues will highlight the importance of good behaviour. Disciplinary committees will be encouraged to continue to support officials who report abuse."

 

1. ECB CODE OF CONDUCT AND SPIRIT OF CRICKET 1.1 Code of Conduct 1.1.1 The ECB is committed to maintaining the highest standards of behavior and conduct. This Code of Conduct incorporates the Spirit of Cricket, as set out below. It applies to all matches played under the auspices of the ECB and may be applied to cricket in general. 1.1.2 The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of Cricket as well as within the Laws. 1.1.3 Players and team officials must at all times accept the umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent at the umpires decision or react in a provocative or disapproving manner towards another player or a spectator. 1.1.4 Players and team officials shall not intimidate, assault or attempt to intimidate or assault an umpire, another player or a spectator. 1.1.5 Players and team officials shall not use crude and/or abusive language (known as ‘Sledging’) nor make offensive gestures or hand signals nor deliberately distract an opponent. 1.1.6 Players and team officials shall not make racially abusive comments nor indulge in racially abusive actions against fellow players, officials, members and supporters. Clubs must operate an active open door membership policy whilst respecting player  qualification regulations and welcome players/members irrespective of ethnic origin. 1.1.7 Players and team officials shall not use or in any way be concerned in the use or distribution of illegal drugs. 1.1.8 Clubs must take adequate steps to ensure the good behavior of their members and supporters towards players and umpires. 1.2 Spirit of Cricket Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws, but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself. The major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains. 1.2.1 There are two Laws which place the responsibility for the team's conduct firmly on the captain. Responsibility of Captains The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of the Game as well as within the Laws. Player’s Conduct In the event of any player failing to comply with the instructions of an umpire, criticising his decision by word or action. showing dissent, or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute, the umpire concerned shall in the first place report the matter to the other umpire and to the player's captain, requesting the latter to take action. 1.2.2 Fair and Unfair Play According to the Laws the umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play. The umpires may intervene at any time, and it is the responsibility of the captain to take action where required. 1.2.3 The umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of: Time wasting Damaging the pitch Dangerous or unfair bowling Tampering with the ball Any other action that they consider to be unfair. 1.2.4 The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for: Your opponents Your own captain and team The role of the umpires The game's traditional values. 1.2.5 It is against the Spirit of the Game: To dispute an umpire's decision by word, action or gesture To direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire To indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance a) appeal knowing the batsman is not out b) advance towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing c) seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one's own side.