MCC Call for Extended Mobile Ban

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has called for players to be banned from using mobile phones during televised domestic cricket matches.

The MCC's world cricket committee endorsed the measure in an effort to tackle the threat of corruption.

Currently only cricketers in international games are barred from using personal phones during games.

The committee also called on all international bodies to adopt the decision review system (DRS).

Committee members - including former England captain Michael Vaughan and ex-Australia captain Steve Waugh - praised the introduction of anti-corruption codes of conduct and player education across the game, but said more needed to be done.

"The MCC world cricket committee, like the ICC, is well aware of the risks of displacement by crooked fixers from international matches to domestic televised matches," said a statement from the MCC - the guardian of the game's laws.

"The committee calls for mobile phones to be banned in dressing rooms for all domestic televised matches."

DRS also featured in discussions which took place at Lord's earlier in the week.

While the technology has been embraced by many national bodies, some cricket boards including India oppose its introduction. Test matches featuring India are often played without the referral system.

"[The MCC] hopes that the time will not be too far away when all countries will agree to its use, at which point a sponsor could be sought to support the costs," the statement read.

A number of other changes in cricket were discussed, including the proposed introduction of day-night Test cricket. The committee approved of the concept and stated that the use of the controversial pink ball, as opposed to red or white, is required.

The committee also pledged to gather together more opinion from within the sport on the innovative "switch hit" batting shot, and how its creation poses challenges for fielding sides and umpires.

The importance of Test cricket relative to the Twenty20 form of the game was also reiterated.

"However, the appeal of Test cricket will be lessened if the conflict with domestic T20 competitions is too stark," the committee warned. "It is also threatened by small crowds and by players who are relatively poorly paid for Test cricket."

Vaughan Seeks Radical T20 Changes

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes a radical transformation is needed in the domestic Twenty20 game.

Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live: "Who would've said 10 years ago darts would be the second most watched sport on TV?

"My wife doesn't like darts but something comes through the screen, an atmosphere. When you put Twenty20 on, nothing comes through so we turn off.

"We've got to try to create nine teams, make it a bit different and create the 'wow' factor."

This year marks the 10th season of domestic Twenty20 competition in England and Vaughan said: "In the first couple of years it was brand new, razzmatazz, the audience saw something very fresh and liked it, went to watch it.

"The one thing we can't control in the UK is the weather which definitely plays a part in terms of the people that go and watch, but I look at all the other Twenty20 tournaments around the world - including the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash in Australia - and there is definitely more wow factor."

The lucrative IPL completed its fifth annual tournament this year as a Kolkata Knight Riders team featuring South African Jacques Kallis and Australian Brett Lee beat the Chennai Super Kings, containing South African Albie Morkel and Australians Mike Hussey and Ben Hilfenhaus.

"You see a different format, more of a show being put on, away from just the cricket, and I think that's very important," Vaughan said.

"We in this country seem to have this long drawn-out affair, we can't really get to grips with how it works, the spectators will go and watch because they watch cricket anyway rather than it being something new."

This year's domestic Twenty20 group matches have now been completed and attention turns to the 40-over competition before the T20 quarter-finals are played on 24 and 25 July, with the semi-finals and final in Cardiff on 25 August.

"I really think a window of two-and-a-half weeks [is needed] when the whole country is geared towards Twenty20 cricket. People might say 'oh the weather might affect' but that's just life, the weather can affect any day given the nature of our country," Vaughan added.

"I think England players are very important in this, I know in the Big Bash the Australian players didn't play a massive part but they had really good overseas players.

"In our season we don't seem to be able to get the big overseas players.

"An England player against an England player would be a great sell, a Pietersen versus Swann - I'd like to see that. I think a lot of people would buy a ticket to see that kind of event and it would really jazz it up and make it somewhat different to what we've got.

"You've got to turn the telly on and get this energy through the screen. If I turn and see no-one watching, no real names, you're not going to get many people interested.

"We've got to take it to grounds that are successful. Hove is a very successful ground in Twenty20, Taunton also, Essex produce a wonderful evening, I think it's only Essex that I turn the screen on and think this is quite a good event, big crowd, lot of buzz, lot of energy but 80% of the games are not like that so we've got to try and create that atmosphere more often."

England Flower Against Spin

Team director Andy Flower says England have "learned lessons" on how to play Pakistan's spinners.

Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan claimed England have "a problem against spin" after the 3-0 Test series defeat.

But the tourists won the one-day campaign 4-0 and levelled the three-match Twenty20 series on Saturday.

"We've learned some lessons from that Test series, specifically on how to play the spin," Flower said ahead of Monday's Twenty20 decider in Abu Dhabi.

England won the second Twenty20 in Dubai by 38 runs thanks to Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 60 and a polished performance with the ball and in the field.

"It was an outstanding performance - great to level the series and give us a chance of winning it in the last game," Flower told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme.

"Playing spin in the limited-overs games is slightly different to playing it in the Test game, but I still think the lessons that we learnt there have served us well through this limited-overs leg.

"That's part of it. We have got a group of people who are used to winning games of cricket.

"As disappointing as the Test series was, I don't think it dented people's confidence that badly that we couldn't come back and perform outstandingly well, and that's exactly what they've done in this limited-overs leg."

Flower also believes exposure to high-class spin will help Bairstow and Jos Buttler's development ahead of England's defence of their ICC World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka in September.

"The experience that those guys will have gained in a pressure situation against very good opposition in these conditions will be absolutely vital to their growth - and to our growth as a side. We have to have, at this stage, an eye on the World Cup," added Flower.

"How we play against spin bowlers in these conditions - and how quickly we learn - is vital to our chances in Sri Lanka."