Cricket to introduce red cards

Red cards are to be introduced in cricket matches at all levels from park pitches to internationals in an effort to stamp out the rising number of violent incidents in matches.

The MCC's world cricket committee has recommended that umpires should have the power to send off players in cases of threats to an umpire or physical assault on a player, umpire, official or spectator.

The punishment is set to come into force from October, when the MCC redrafts the laws of cricket.

Yellow cards and a sin-bin were also discussed by the cricket committee, but were thought harder to implement consistently.

"This is a pretty drastic change to the laws," said Mike Brearley, chairman of the MCC's world cricket committee.

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"Evidence from people familiar with leagues in certain parts of England says behaviour has got a lot worse. Umpires have to be respected and given the best possible chance. Cricket is the only game apart from Australian rules football in which there isn't this possibility of an in-match deterrent.

"I think you call [cricket] a game that you play hard and play fair. The spirit of cricket is represented by that. That does not include hitting someone over the back of the head with a bat or punching them. This is for use in extreme cases."

Research by Portsmouth University recently revealed 56.2% of 763 umpires surveyed had experienced verbal abuse and 21% had reported physical violence. A fifth of the respondents had given up umpiring because of increased abuse. Five club matches were suspended in England last year because of violence.

At the international level, the code of conduct is likely to be deemed sufficient and it is doubtful umpires will carry red cards, though they will be able to send players off. There have been few examples of violence at the top level but the MCC believes this law change will reduce the potential for such incidents occurring at lower levels and seeping into the culture of cricket.

There has been a crackdown on behaviour by the International Cricket Council, with particular emphasis on on-field abuse between players.

Both Alastair Cook and Trevor Bayliss have been critical of punishments handed out to Ben Stokes, and there is a balance to be struck between ensuring good behaviour and not stifling natural competitiveness between players.