When Smriti Mandhana got her periods during the match, could she leave the field? Know what the rules are!

When an international female cricketer steps onto a Test match pitch, there are some things that are completely beyond her control: the weather, the nature of the pitch, the umpire’s vision and her period cycle. India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana recently decided to speak openly on this last issue and by doing so, she opened a door that desperately needed to be opened.

Smriti Mandhana said, ‘I play for India, and this is the thought that drives me forward. When you wear the country’s jersey, you have to do full justice to your responsibility. In such a situation, sometimes you cannot let the pain of periods come in the way of your game.

When Smriti Mandhana got her periods in the middle of the field

As powerful as this statement sounds, it also brings forward a bigger truth. But it also leaves a big question, what happens when this pain really becomes unbearable? When a player is forced to take action instead of just suffering? Recalling that moment, Smriti said, ‘I remember I told the umpire that this is the strangest request I have ever made, I will have to run to wear the pad. The umpire also had no option because I was wearing white clothes (Test jersey), and she understood my situation very well.

This experience of his has raised a question which hardly anyone in the cricket world has given a clear answer to. After all, in such a situation, what are the players allowed to do according to the rules? Can she leave the field? If someone suddenly starts having severe cramps while batting, what will happen to that batsman? To understand all these things we will have to look at the rule book of cricket.

What do the rules of cricket say?

The rules of cricket are made by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and enforced worldwide by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Rule 24 is related to the absence and substitution of fielders. The answers are very strange and confusing, and the rule is completely silent on the situation Smriti mentioned. The rules of cricket (Law 24) say that in case of injury or illness, only with the consent of the umpire, a ‘substitute’ player can be found, who can only field. If a player remains out of the field for more than 8 minutes, he is penalized for bowling, that is, he cannot bowl for the period of time he is out on his return. At the same time, if the batsman leaves the crease without the permission of the umpire, he is considered ‘retired out’.

In 2019, only the rule for ‘concussion substitute’ (for head injury) came, but the entire rulebook is silent on periods or menstrual health. Should periods be considered a ‘disease’? This is still unclear today.

This rule creates a big strategic challenge for women players. For a specialist batsman like Smriti Mandhana, bowling penalty may not matter, but for all-rounders like Deepti Sharma or Nat Sciver-Brunt, going out of the field due to periods can cost the team heavily. The loss of a key bowler’s overs at a crucial juncture of a match is a strategic burden that no male cricketer ever has to calculate.

74% young girls leave sports

The bitter reality behind this debate is that about 74% of young girls in India leave sports due to periods, pain, lack of sanitary products and social shyness. In such a situation, when a veteran player like Smriti Mandhana talks openly about it, then this topic becomes common. This reassures the 12-year-old girl playing on the ground that this situation is normal and manageable.

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