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.
There are two Laws that place the responsibility for a 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.
Players’ Conduct – In the event of a player failing to comply with instructions by an Umpire or
criticising by word or action the decisions of an Umpire, or 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, and instruct the latter to take action.
Fair and Unfair Play
According to the Laws of Cricket 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.
The Umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of:
- Time wasting
- Damaging the pitch
- Dangerous or unfair bowling
- Tampering with ball
- Any other action that they consider to be unfair
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
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) To appeal knowing that the batsman is not out.
(b) To advance towards the umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing.
(c) To 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.
Violence
There is no place for any act of violence on the field of play.
Players
Captains and Umpires together set the tone for the conduct of a cricket match. Every player is
expected to make an important contribution to this.
© MCC 2012 MCC Spirit of Cricket.docx
