Maintaining a fair balance between bat and ball remains crucial to cricket, MCC Head of Cricket Fraser Stewart said on Wednesday, pointing to changes in the latest laws of the game aimed at rewarding the fielding side more.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Laws of Cricket 2026 Umpire’s Workshop organised by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), Stewart said Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) continues to monitor the balance of the game, which has increasingly tilted towards the batters.
“Absolutely, the balance of the game is crucial to cricket and in 2017 we reduced the sizes of bats to try to limit the power of the bat, the dominance of the bat over ball,” Stewart told PTI.
“That’s helped to have an effect but we still see, balls flying a long way. We can’t stop batters getting stronger, working out in the gym and they’re playing a very different brand of attacking cricket than perhaps was the day years ago,” he added.
Stewart said the latest edition of the Laws, which comes into effect from October 1, has also introduced a change in multi-day cricket that benefits the bowling side. There are 73 changes in the laws.
Under the new law, if a wicket falls during the final over of a day’s play, the incoming batter will have to come out and face the remaining deliveries of the over, rather than play ending immediately after the dismissal.
“The fielding side have taken a wicket, they will be rewarded with having a new batter coming out. The batting side will have to decide are we going to send in a night watchman,” Stewart said.
“We felt that’s again another thing that we’re giving back to the bowlers to try to make sure that there is an even balance between bat and ball,” he added.
Stewart said MCC also works closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the regulations governing the game, while the number of balls used in an ODI and similar playing conditions are primarily matters for the ICC.
He acknowledged that cricket’s laws can be complicated, particularly as the sport continues to expand globally, but said MCC is working to make them easier to understand.
As part of that effort, MCC has collaborated with the ICC for the first time to translate the Laws of Cricket into multiple languages.
A new Laws of Cricket app was launched in English, Hindi and Urdu on Wednesday, while Bangla and Kannada versions are also set to be launched later this week.
“The Laws of Cricket form the foundation of how the game is played and officiated. As the new changes come into effect on October 1, it is important for our umpires to have a clear understanding of the changes and their practical application.
“All of us at the DDCA are delighted to have hosted the MCC in Delhi and to have provided our umpires with the opportunity to interact directly with Fraser Stewart and Jonny Singer,” said DDCA president Rohan Jaitley.
DDCA director Shyam Sharma added: “We are really grateful to him that they have chosen Delhi and our umpires will, their knowledge will be enhanced and everybody needs to be upgraded with the law,” Sharma said.
