The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has proposed to use gender-neutral terms like batter/batters instead of batsman/batsmen going forward. The club has made these changes to promote inclusivity in the game and make it accessible for everyone.
MCC assistant secretary Jamie Cox believes it is the right time to make the game gender-neutral and that the move is a natural evolution.
“MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognizes the changing landscape of the game in modern times. The use of the term “batter” is a natural evolution in our shared cricketing language and the terminology has already been adopted by many of those involved in the sport. It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognized formally and we are delighted, as the Guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes today,” said Cox.
The changes have been made to the Laws of Cricket after it was approved by the MCC committee earlier this week. The MCC highlighted the incredible growth of women’s cricket in the last few years while announcing this big change to the laws of the game.
“MCC believes that the use of gender-neutral terminology helps reinforce cricket’s status as an inclusive game for all. The amendments are a natural evolution from work already undertaken in this area as well as an essential part of MCC’s global responsibility to the sport.,” said the MCC statement.
The term batter has been used by cricket organizations and certain media outlets for a number of years, and with it being officially used by MCC, the change from batsman to the batter will likely take place soon and be used more widely.
The women’s game has grown significantly in recent years, thanks to the introduction of the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia a few years ago and The Hundred competition in England earlier this year. There have been rumors of a women’s IPL competition, which will only grow the game even more in the years to come.
The Women’s T20 Challenge has been conducted by the BCCI thrice, featuring two teams in the first year, and three in the next two years. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has stated that 7-8 teams will compete in next year’s edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge. Next year will also see the twelfth edition of the Women’s World Cup, which will take place in New Zealand and will feature eight teams.
