"India is heartbeat of cricket globally": MCC's Fraser Stewart on Laws of Cricket app launching in Hindi, Urdu

On Wednesday, the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) hosted a special MCC Laws of Cricket Workshop in Delhi for the Associations umpires, ahead of the New Laws of Cricket taking effect from October 1, 2026. A key highlight of the event was the launch of the new MCC Laws of Cricket app, now available in Hindi. The app is available in multiple languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Kannada, and others, making the Laws of Cricket more accessible to cricket officials, fans and viewers across India.

Speaking to ANI, Fraser Stewart said the MCC worked closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to translate the Laws of Cricket into multiple languages for the first time. He said the new Laws of Cricket app, initially available in English, has now been launched in Hindi and Urdu, with Bangla and Kannada versions to follow later this week and more languages expected in the coming weeks.

Stewart said the initiative aims to make the laws of the game more accessible, as understanding cricket regulations can be challenging when they are not available in a persons own language. He added that the move will help more people across India and beyond understand and engage with the laws of cricket.

And for the first time, MCC, we've worked very closely with the ICC to ensure that the laws are translated into as many different languages as possible. And we've got a new Laws of Cricket app which is now available. And as of today, we are launching it in Hindi and Urdu, in addition to English. And then we're going around different cities of India, and later this week we will be launching it in Bangla and also in Kannada. And then in the coming weeks, it will also be available in more languages, both for Indian [regions] and those beyond India, he said.

So it's a really exciting day because the Laws of Cricket can be quite complicated enough in your own language, but when you're having to read it in another language, it can be even more complicated. So yeah, this is a really big step to try and make the laws as accessible as possible to as many people, Stewart added.

Stewart said the translation and digital publication of MCCs Laws of Cricket is the first step towards making the organisations publications more accessible. He added that as cricket is a global sport and India plays a central role in it, MCC aims to make the laws easier to understand by offering them in multiple languages and simplifying the wording in the latest edition.

This is the first step of getting some of MCC's publications translated and published under an MCC banner. The laws have been translated before, but never sort of put out there digitally or physically by MCC. So it's a big step forward, but it's perhaps the first of a series of steps.

This is truly a global game, and India is the heartbeat of cricket globally. So it's on us as MCC, as custodians of the laws, to ensure that the laws are as accessible to as many people in as many languages as possible, to try and make them as simple to understand as we can. We've done some playing around with the wording in this edition to try and simplify the wording to make it easier. But yes, our game is only going to be good and understood if people understand it in whatever language they speak, he said.

Meanwhile, DDCA Director Shyam Sharma said hosting the MCC app launch at the associations premises was a great opportunity and added that umpires and scorers were invited to stay updated with the new cricket laws coming into effect from October 1.

It is a great opportunity for our DDCA that they have come here and are launching the app on our premises. From the 1st of October, all these new rules will come into effect. We have invited all our umpires and scorers so that they remain updated about what the new rules are, he said. (ANI)