Ravichandran Ashwin, Ricky Ponting and the Mankading Debate
Vinoo Mankad is one name from the 1940s and 1950s that resonates all around world cricket frequently. 44 matches, 2109 runs, an average of 31.47 with the bat, five hundreds, 162 wickets, eight five-wicket hauls. These were his numbers in Test cricket and add to that, the Jamnagar-born all-rounder was the first Indian to scale the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket.
However, Mankad is hardly remembered for his cricketing feats or all those stats. It is for a run-out he inflicted back in the second Test match when India had toured Australia in 1947-48. After giving Bill Brown several warnings, the left-arm spinning all-rounder ran the Australian batsman out for backing up too far. In fact, that mode of dismissal is commonly known as ‘Mankading’. Mind you, it’s not an official name, the rule book states it as a run-out but it’s a common terminology people use.
Also Read: Ricky Ponting to have a hard conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin, forbidding him from Mankading
That term is back in the news and is taking all the spotlight. And it was because of one statement by Ricky Ponting when he was quoted saying by CricketNext. “I’ll be having a chat with him about it, that’s the first thing I’ll do.”
Remember last year’s IPL and Ravichandran Ashwin running out Jos Buttler for backing up too far at the non-striker’s end? In his delivery stride, Ashwin had stopped and run Buttler out for wandering outside the crease even before the ball was delivered.
Ponting is talking about Ashwin in his statement. Ashwin has moved to the Delhi Capitals. The former Australian captain, who is the head coach of Delhi Capitals, wants to have a chat with the Tamil Nadu off-spinner about ‘Mankading’ or rather ‘run-out’ of the non-striker for backing up too far.
That has flared up the debate. According to the laws of the game i.e. the rules written by the MCC, it’s well within the rules to do that. However, that’s when the ‘spirit of the game’ comes to light.
Credits: MCC
We often hear people talk about playing the game with the right spirit or things which are on or not on according to the spirit of the game. What does this spirit of the game actually mean? It is just to remind the players their responsibility towards the game. In 2000, when the Code of Laws were introduced, it also featured a Preamble on the Spirit of Cricket for the very first time.
Credits: MCC
So, what is all the fuss about running batsmen out for backing up too far at the non-striker’s end (yes, don’t term it as Mankading) and spirit of the game? After all, that mode of dismissal is well within the laws of the game. Well, it’s actually not against the Spirit of Cricket, it’s just that cricketers over the years have perceived it to be against it.
The debate has flared up and has been one of the talking points on social media ever since Ponting made the comment.
Moreover, even Dinesh Karthik has joined in the call for generalising the dismissal. One, he doesn’t understand why people see it in a negative way and two, why call it ‘Mankad’?
A lot of people have polarising opinions on this,this is just my 2 cents on this issue.Would like a few cricket nerds to give their thoughts on this too
@bhogleharsha @rohangava9 @ashwinravi99 @cricketaakash @sanjaymanjrekar @Bazmccullum @VenkyMysore @s_badrinath @RK_sports https://t.co/P6QueIUnOZ
— DK (@DineshKarthik) August 24, 2020
And Ashwin has been a big believer in this mode of dismissal as he feels that the batsmen take undue advantage. He doesn’t understand why it should even be a debate and why it can’t be taken as any other mode of dismissal. As bowlers get penalised for over-stepping or any small error, he wants the same to happen with the batsmen as well if the wander outside the crease before the ball is released.
Make it a free ball for the bowler. If the batsmen gets out of that ball, the batting team will be docked 5 runs. Free hit adds to the drama for a batter, let’s give a chance to the bowlers too. As of now everyone watches the game hoping that ‘the bowlers will get smacked today’ https://t.co/BxX8IsMgvF
— Ashwin
(@ashwinravi99) August 24, 2020
In fact, last IPL wasn’t the only time the Tamil Nadu off-spinner got involved in this sort of incident. Back in 2012, he ran Sri Lankan batsman Lahiru Thirimanne out in a similar fashion to that of Buttler. However, the appeal was withdrawn by the Indian team later.
Ashwin who has been around the international arena for more than a decade now is irked by the fact that the game constantly gets tilted in the batsman’s favour. When it came to light that the third umpire will monitor the no-balls and call them as well, Ashwin had gone ahead a series of tweets on how he felt and he even gave out a few pointers on what could be done to at least restore the parity between bat and ball.
Many of you will not be able to see the grave disaparity here, so let me take some time out to clarify to the best of my abilities. If the non striker backs up 2 feet and manages to come back for a 2, he will put the same batsmen on strike for the next ball.
— Ashwin
It is time to restore the balance in what is an increasingly tough environement for the bowlers. #thefrontcrease #belongs to #bothparties @bhogleharsha we can use the same tech that we are proposing for a no ball check 120 balls in a T 20 game.
— Ashwin
There is some confusion with this rule of running batsmen out for backing up too far at the non-striker’s end. Stuff like ‘normal delivery position’ or the ‘normal delivery stride’ that comes up. Cricket expert, analyst and commentator has a suggestion. He feels such subjective elements can be taken out of the game. And Karthik gave his approval for that too.
Agree harsha, the question only comes in when the batsman isn't doing that though. What are we going to do about that?
I also feel the cameras used to see the no ball can be used to monitor this.
no runs allowed for that delivery , ball is legitimate and dismissal accepted.— DK (@DineshKarthik) August 24, 2020
Cricket, especially the shorter formats is heavily skewed in favour of the batsmen. Flat pitches, two new balls, shorter boundaries, bigger bats and whatnot. And Ashwin has a reply to that as well.
Then take the run out on your chin and stay in!!!!
— Ashwin
There is nothing in the Spirit of Cricket as mentioned in the Preamble that says this is not on or is unfair or it is against the spirit of the game. In fact, MCC has come out in the open and said that running a batsman out for backing up too far at the non-striker’s end is not against the spirit of the game.
“To clarify, it has never been in the Laws that a warning should be given to the non-striker and nor is it against the Spirit of Cricket to run out a non-striker who is seeking to gain an advantage by leaving his/her ground early,” MCC had said in a statement last year after the Ashwin-Buttler incident which sent the world into a frenzy.
How is following the rules and the laws of the game be against the spirit of the game or ethically wrong?
Agree wholeheartedly. How can following the laws be ethically incorrect or inappropriate? https://t.co/gixDl9IQaD
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 24, 2020
Laws are made to be followed. And if one follows the rules one can never be held responsible for doing so. Change the law if you want to but no way can you blame anyone who follows it. So I don’t see any wrong in what you did.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) August 24, 2020
This debate can go on and on and on. Every time there is a batsman that is runout at the non-striker’s end for backing up too far before the ball is released, the world sits up and takes notice. It’s in the laws, it’s fair to do it. If it is against the spirit of the game, why have the law at all? Can we just treat this as another mode of dismissal and call it run out again?