Players wore a smartwatch in televised matches with all the communication or data transmission facilities being switched off.
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to tighten its anti-corruption regulations in the wake of live streaming in county cricket as they have banned cricketers from wearing smartwatches on the field of play in all of the upcoming fixtures.
Previously, players were allowed to wear a smartwatch on the field of play even in televised matches with all the communication or data transmission facilities being switched off.
“But with the vast majority of fixtures now available to watch live worldwide thanks to the growth of live-streaming services in the county game, the regulations have been tightened.
“This means that smartwatches are completely banned in televised games and are permitted in the players’ and match officials’ areas (dressing rooms, balconies, dugouts) only in non-televised games,” a report in ESPNCricinfo said.
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Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson brought this issue under the spotlight as he revealed that he came to know about his maiden England call-up via a notification on his team-mate Steven Croft’s smartwatch during the 2019 County Championship.
Thus, the ECB saw the need to tighten its regulations which they review on a yearly basis according to the governing body’s spokesperson.
“We review the anti-corruption codes and PMOA minimum standards on a yearly basis so that they remain relevant to the current threats and risks to cricket,” the ECB spokesperson said.
As far as international cricket is concerned, the smart wearable devices are banned for a long time after Pakistani cricketers Hasan Ali and Asad Shafiq were told by anti-corruption officials to stop wearing them during a Test at Lord’s in 2018.
(With PTI inputs)