[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Cricket is set to introduce sending-off for the first time next year, while the sizes of bats are to be limited. Umpires will be given the power to eject players from a game for serious disciplinary breaches.

MCC World Cricket Committee member Ricky Ponting explained that sanctions needed to be implemented. “We’re talking about a significant change to lower-level cricket because it has got completely out of hand down there,” the ex-Australia captain said.

MCC (the Marylebone Cricket Club) remains the guardian of the laws and spirit of the game and its world cricket committee has been a leading voice on major issues.