Phil Salt Cleared of Bat Tampering Allegations After ACU Investigation

Phil Salt, the England and Lancashire cricketer, has been officially cleared by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) following allegations of violating the ECB's Anti-Corruption Code related to bat size regulations.

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. This led to an investigation concerning potential breaches of ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3.

Salt defended himself, stating that the bat in question, used consistently for the past two years across teams including England, Lancashire, and in the IPL, had never previously raised concerns.

Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC) has confirmed the ACU's decision to clear Salt's bat, used in the match against the Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

During Lancashire Lightning's innings, an umpire conducted a standard on-field gauge test to verify bat dimensions. The test requires the bat to fit through a gauge of a specific size.

Initially, Salt's bat failed the test. However, subsequent tests 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 scrutiny.

LCCC expressed their concern about 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.

The Cricket Regulator's evidential testing process ultimately determined that the bat was compliant with regulations. Both the club and the player have been notified that no further action will be taken.