England board bans cricketers from wearing smartwatches in field of play

England and Wales cricket board hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt

The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday banned cricketers from wearing smartwatches on the field of play in all upcoming matches, tightening its anti-corruption regulations in the wake of live streaming in county cricket.

"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, meaning 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.

It was Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson who brought to light the opportunity for information exchange when he had revealed that he came to know about his maiden England call-up via a notification on his teammate Steven Croft's smartwatch during the 2019 County Championship.

Now with the rise of live streaming of matches, the governing body has decided to tighten its regulations.

ECB hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt.

"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," an ECB spokesperson said.