MCC amends laws to minimise injuries to wicket-keepers

With an aim to protect wicketkeepers from freak injuries, the Marylebone Cricket Club has ratified the use of tethers to limit the distance that that bails can travel when the wicket is broken. Mark Boucher had suffered such a freak injury when he was struck by the bails in the left eye during the opening match of South Africa’s 2012 tour of England. He had undergone a long surgery but eventually had to retire.

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim’s career also ended after he had a similar injury during an Asia Cup encounter against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2000. It was a ball from Anil Kumble that struck the batsman on the boot and rose to hit Karim on the right eye. Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also was hit by the bail on his right eye while trying to go for a big shot in the final T20I against Zimbabwe last year.

Responding to these incidents, MCC has decided to alterate Law 8.3, following an approach from two companies – one from South Africa and the other from the UK – who have submitted designs for mechanisms that tether the bails to the stumps, without limiting their ability to be …read more