ECB might introduce Yellow card in cricket

London, Nov 12 (UNI) Soon cricket may see football laws on the field.

The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to use yellow cards on trial basis to prevent players from abusing umpires and excessive sledging in minor and county club level tournaments here.

''Jack Simmons and Mike Griffith, the chairmen of the ECB and MCC cricket committees, are very concerned and, if the trials work, would want this as part of the first-class game, although much cricket at that level is self-policed,'' ECB chairman Giles Clarke was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

''A rugby player is sent off the field for ten minutes, one eighth of the game, and a cricketer could go off for 12 overs.

Abuse of the umpire and sledging have to be stopped,'' he added.

Former english cricketer Dennis Amis echoed Clarke and said with the introduction of football like laws, chances of sledging can be minimised in the gentlemen's game.

''I would not be against introducing yellow cards in first-class cricket,'' Amiss said.

''When I was a player, I had confidence in English umpires as they were former professional cricketers, but the Australians were always inclined to sledge. I would listen to the players' view and it would have to be a bad misdemeanour but we have to move the game forward. Red cards? I hope not, but it would all add to the drama of a match,'' he added.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which controls and oversees the laws of the game, chairman Charles Fry asserted that some kind of punishment could even be incorporated in the laws.

However, he further added that mostly international cricket was played in the true spirit it is league cricket where players behaviour was not up to the mark.

''My personal view is that the behaviour in the international game is very good but in league cricket it is absolutely awful.

We would always be keen on anything to improve. At the moment there are no penalties,'' he said.

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