Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) decides against banning of 'bouncers' in cricket

On the back of an ongoing debate surrounding the bowling of bouncers in cricket, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has concluded that there is not an immediate need to ban short-pitched bowling or change any laws around it. As per the ICC’s current regulations, two bouncers, up to head height, are allowed in an over.

The conclusion that MCC has arrived upon is backed by the existing laws in place that offer protection to batters while also imposing various penalties on the bowlers in the form of no-balls, extra runs to the batting side and potential suspensions.

“As with any potential change in the laws, the key aspect is to ensure that it is appropriate for all levels of the game. The results of the consultation show that short-pitched bowling, within the Laws, is an important part of the makeup of the sport and in fact, to change it would materially change the game,” Jamie Cox of MCC told Cricbuzz.

A fatal injury to Philip Hughes forced a much-needed debate on short-pitch bowling

Notably, there have been various concussion-related injuries to many cricketers in the recent past as a result of being hit on the helmet/head. The worst of such instances came back in December of 2014 when Australian cricketer, Philip Hughes, passed as a result of being hit on the neck by a short-ball in a domestic match. The untimely and shocking demise of the cricketer forced various amendments to previous security measures and structural helmet designs.

It was in 2021 when MCC decided to work on finding whether the current laws fit the modern playing dynamics given the hits to the helmet are on a rise. The prestigious cricketing body has also deemed that there is a need to find the right balance between the ball and bat. They further expressed that a concussion-related injury must be treated as different from any other injury.

“The consultation reached out to many different stakeholders in the game. The data collected was then debated by various committees and sub-committees within the Club before the decision was reached,” MCC added.