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We’ve witnessed so many controversies related to the rules and spirit of cricket. Every country has different rules for their domestic leagues but when it comes to international cricket there are some specific set of laws that have been implemented for years. These Laws of Cricket are created and maintained by MCC which is the first cricket club located in the Lord’s Cricket Ground. There are 42 sets of Laws in the book and every law has a different section. Violating the Laws of Cricket can create problems for the individual and if that action does not come to the spirit of the game it can create a ban for years or maybe for a lifetime from the International and domestic levels.
The first Law of Cricket is related to the basic requirement of the game which is ‘The Players’. This Law holds information related to the players such as how many players should play, how much responsibility a captain and a player carry with them, replacement and nomination of players, etc. This law has four different sections and in the season of unlimited cricket and controversies revolving around the rules and regulations let’s go back in time and learn about the first-ever law made in Cricket and its every section.
Numbers of players
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According to the MCC, the first chamber of this law says that in a match of two sides, there should be eleven players each and both teams should have one captain. It is strict that no team could enter the field with more than eleven players but they could have in the team, for example nowadays every team probably contains 15 players in their squad so that if any player gets injured during practice sessions teams have their backup. Sometimes if a player is injured on the field they could be replaced by a substitute but a substitute player can’t bat or bowl unless it’s a special case. If a captain is going to enter the field fewer than the original number of players they should have to discuss it with umpires and match referee during the toss.
Nomination and replacement of players
This section tells us about how and why players should be nominated for the team and they can be replaced by others. This particular section of Law has three sub-sections.
- Did you ever wonder why during the toss captains carry a piece of paper in their hand here is the explanation. This Subsection says that the captain has to nominate every eleven players of his/her team in writing and give it to one of the umpires before the toss.
- If a captain has nominated their squad and handed it over to the umpires no player could be replaced without the consent of the opposite captain.
- If a player has replaced another then he will be considered as the same player he replaced for the intention of Laws of Cricket.
Captain
This section of the law describes the responsibilities of a captain and the rules that a captain has to follow during the game. It also has three subsections.
- In the first subsection, the Law says that if by anyhow a captain is not available during the game or he has to leave the field between the game the vice-captain will be in charge for that duration of time.
- In the second subsection, the Law defines that while Nomination if the captain is not available then in his place any teammate could do the nomination and this is considered to be fair according to the Law.
- After the Nomination, if the Captain is absent then only the nominated player will be serving in the place of the captain including toss and other responsibilities.
Responsibility of Captain
In the end, this law defines the responsibility and duties of a Captain. This section of the law says that captains are responsible if the play is conducted within the Spirit of Cricket and as well as the Laws of Cricket. Captains should be aware of their player’s actions and maintain the dignity of the game.
Conclusion
Cricket is the Gentlemen’s game and Laws are made to maintain the spirit of the game players are the most important means of maintaining the dignity of the game. Violating the Laws of Cricket is as same as damaging the spirit of Cricket.
