Phil Salt Cleared After Bat Size Investigation; Lancashire Club Criticizes Handling of Incident

Phil Salt, the Lancashire and England cricketer, has been officially cleared of violating the ECB's Anti-Corruption Code following an investigation into the size of his bat.

Salt's bat did not pass through the gauge on the field initially © Getty

The issue arose during a Vitality Blast match when Salt's bat failed an on-field gauge test, potentially breaching ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3.

Salt asserted that the bat, which he has consistently used for the past two years across various teams including England, Lancashire, and in the IPL, had never previously been flagged for any concerns. The Cricket Regulator's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) conducted an investigation and ultimately exonerated him of any wrongdoing on Tuesday.

Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC) confirmed the ACU's decision, stating that the bat used by Phil Salt during the match against the Northamptonshire Steelbacks was deemed compliant.

During the first over of Lancashire Lightning's innings, an umpire performed an on-field gauge test as part of a standard procedure to verify bat sizes. To pass, the bat must fit through a gauge of a specific size.

Initially, Salt's bat failed the on-field test. However, subsequent tests conducted after the match yielded inconclusive results, with the bat fitting through the gauge on multiple attempts. Despite this, officials decided to send the bat for further evaluation.

LCCC expressed their dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation. "At Lancashire, we believe this whole process could have been avoided with improved processes on and off the field, whether that be through better equipment and or additional training. Following the incident there have been inappropriate comments made by match commentators, inaccurate articles written in the media and some unsavoury social media posts towards the player that could have been avoided," the club stated.

Following the detailed testing process carried out by the Cricket Regulator, the bat was confirmed to meet regulations, and both the club and player were informed that no further action would be taken.