The new terminology,effective immediately,has been brought in to “reinforce cricket’s status as an inclusive game for all”,the MCC - the custodians of the laws of cricket - said in a statement on Wednesday.
The move will no doubt raise the hackles of some,who will deride the change as political correctness gone mad. Some fans may also object to a term used in baseball being formally recognised in cricket.
Western Australia Cricket Association chief executive Christina Matthews,a former Australia international,called for the game to introduce gender-neutral terms in February 2017,but when the laws were redrafted in April that year it was agreed,after consultation with the International Cricket Council and key figures in women’s cricket,that “batsman” and “batsmen” would remain.
But,with the rise of the women’s game,there has already been a shift among governing bodies,commentators,media and players - both male and female - to the word “batter”.
“The changes announced today reflect the wider usage of the terms ‘batter’ and ‘batters’ which has occurred in cricketing circles in the intervening period,” the MCC said in the statement.
“The move to ‘batter’ is a natural progression,aligning with the terms of bowlers and fielders that already sit within the laws.”