The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : MCC clean chit for Gilchrist

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Thursday, May 10, 2007
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MCC clean chit for Gilchrist

LONDON: A sub-committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of the laws governing the game, has given a clean chit to Adam Gilchrist saying that his using of squash ball in batting glove in the World Cup final could not be classed either as contravening the law or as breaching the spirit of the game.

The MCC issued a statement, responding to claims that Gilchrist violated laws and spirit of cricket in the final.

The statement said Gilchrist's ploy was designed to alter his grip on the bat at the crease, something which he was entitled to do under Law 3.6(c), which specifies only what external protective equipment is permitted.

``Since there is no restriction in Law even on the external form of batting gloves, let alone the interior thereof, no Law has been breached,'' the statement read.

The sub-committee pointed out that batsmen use grips on the bat-handle to have a better grip, which is considered fair. Even newly designed gloves have extra protection inside, which helps with the grip.

``This would be entirely legal, and has the same effect on the grip for a batsman who wore such gloves. So in this case, apparently the addendum to the inside of the batting gloves was not for protection but to improve the grip on the handle. This should not be considered unfair,'' it said. — PTI

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