Concerns that the integrity of international cricket is being undermined by sledging, cheating and a growing lack of respect for umpires and opponents has prompted the billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) to take a stand to reinforce the spirit and laws of the game.

The eight captains and players taking part in the six-week tournament will, on the day of the opening match on April 18 in Bangalore, sign a pledge to embrace the “Spirit of Cricket”, the preamble to the laws of the game as drawn up by the late Colin Cowdrey and officially adopted by MCC, of which he was a president. He was also chairman of the ICC.

Appropriately, Chris Cowdrey, Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge’s eldest son and a former England captain, will be invited to India, his father’s birthplace, to witness the initiative of Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has the full support of the Cowdrey family.

The move is timely, given recent events, particularly the rancour of the recent India tour to Australia. “It is a great principle and it is important that the Spirit of Cricket is something the IPL embraces,” Modi, who is also the IPL chairman, said. “It will be part of our tournament. It is absolutely apt for us.

“Sledging has become a serious issue and in some instances has got out of control. In the IPL we have for the first time in history players from different countries playing together and the fact that this is the case will help to prevent any problems in the future.

“These players will be able to establish a second set of friendships beyond their own national teams. It is so exciting. There has been a lot of concern at the level of sledging and intimidation that has appeared in our game. It is the right time to make a public stand. It is important that we show to the world that we endorse the Spirit of Cricket.”

Modi denied that the declaration was an exercise to deflect criticism aimed at the fledgeling tournament for merely being a business venture, the scale of which has led to fears that it could pose a threat to Test cricket. “Not at all,” Modi said. “It is important that we set an example for cricket. This tournament is not about making money purely for profit. IPL is part of BCCI, a nonprofit organisation. Money will be made, but that money goes back 100 per cent into the game to build the game.”

Chris Cowdrey said that he was delighted that the Spirit of Cricket was back on the agenda. “My father saw cricket positioned between two sports – golf and football,” he said. “In one there is self-regulation from the players resulting in, on the whole, immaculate behaviour. In the other there is anarchy, with the accepted practice being to cheat and intimidate referees.

“The Spirit of Cricket puts the onus on each captain to make sure that his players show respect for the umpires and the opposition and that unfair play and cheating is not tolerated. This is arguably the biggest issue in the game today. My father would be so thrilled if it were his beloved India which made this stand. People have dismissed the Spirit of Cricket concept as some outdated Corinthian ideal. It is not.

“There is a golden opportunity to leave a positive legacy for the millions of youngsters in India and across the globe who emulate every move of their heroes – their conduct and demeanour – and aspire to play cricket.

“If you talk to Ricky Ponting [the Australia captain], he is right up for it. Everyone is committed to it. Where it goes wrong is in people not knowing what the Spirit of Cricket is. It needs to be up in lights not because of the old man but because everyone knows it is the right way to go. It is a brave decision by Mr Modi to stand up for everything that is good about cricket.”