ICC to replace ‘batsman’ with ‘batter’ from T20 WC onwards

Dubai, Oct 07 (PTI): The International Cricket Council on Thursday decided to replace ‘batsman’ with gender-neutral term ‘batter’ in all its playing conditions starting with this month’s men’s T20 World Cup, describing the move as a “natural and overdue evolution” in the sport.
Last month, the Marylebone Cricket Club announced it would be replacing the word ‘batsman’ with ‘batter’ in the Laws of Cricket. That change will now be reflected across all ICC playing conditions going forward. The ICC said over the past four years it has been moving away from the word ‘batsman’, with ‘batter’ implemented regularly in commentary and across the organisation’s channels. The body’s acting CEO Geoff Allardice said the MCC’s decision to move to ‘batter’ in the laws of the game was one they ‘welcomed’. “The ICC has been utilising the term batter for some time now across our channels and in commentary and we welcome the MCC’s decision to implement it into the Laws of cricket and will follow suit with our playing conditions that are derived from the Laws,” Allardice said in a statement. “This is a natural and perhaps overdue evolution of our sport and now our batters are gender-neutral in the same way as bowlers, fielders and wicket keepers.”