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Jaipur/New Delhi, March 26
Ravichandaran Ashwin had no regrets but the cricket fraternity stood divided after the seasoned Indian off-spinner’s ‘Mankading’ of Jos Buttler in the IPL on Tuesday triggered a heated debate on the spirit of the game.
In a first in the 12 editions of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab skipper Ashwin ran out Rajasthan Royals batsman Buttler, who was at the non-strikers’ end, on his delivery stride, an act popularly known as ‘Mankading’ —after the legendary Vinoo Mankad, who first did it in 1947 against Australia. The mode of dismissal is permissible as per ICC rules, according to which even a warning to the batsman is not needed anymore. What remains unresolved is whether such a dismissal is in the right spirit. TV replays showed that Ashwin had waited for Buttler to move out of the crease before removing the bails, leading to a storm in which Ashwin’s integrity was questioned by the likes of RR brand ambassador Shane Warne, who called his act disgraceful. The Indian found some backers too, prominent ones being Dean Jones and Mitchell Johnson. The two former cricketers found nothing wrong in what the senior bowler did. Ashwin was unapologetic and insisted that what he did in the 13th over of the match was instinctive. BCCI kept its distance from the raging furore with a senior official insisting that BCCI had no plans of taking it up with Ashwin. Reacting to the Buttler-Ashwin controversy, MCC stated that it is not against the spirit of cricket for a bowler to seek to run out a batsman at the non-striker’s end. “The crux of the issue is when the non-striker can safely leave his/her ground, and what the bowler can do to effect this form of dismissal without courting controversy,” an MCC statement said.— PTI
In past, it was decided not to Mankad batsmen: Shukla
IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla recalled attending a meeting of the league’s captains and match referees in which it was decided that Mankading would not be done in the event. “If I remember correctly, in one of the meetings of captains and match referee, where I was also present as the IPL chairman, it had been decided that if non-striking batsman steps out, bowler as a courtesy, will not run him out,” Shukla tweeted. "Most probably this meeting was in Kolkata on the eve of one of the editions of the IPL where Dhoni and Virat were present," he added, without specifying the edition before which this decision was made. — PTI
He is guilty, not telling the truth: Prasanna
Kolkata: Rubbishing R Ashwin’s statement that he ‘Mankaded’ Jos Buttler “instinctively”, Indian spin great Erapalli Prasanna said the India Test off-spinner is lying and should have cautioned the batsman. “He is feeling guilty and is trying to cover up. I don’t think he is clear to himself. He is bluffing. He is not telling the truth,” Prasanna said. “The most important point is, such an action is taken after cautioning the non-striker, telling him that he is leaving the crease much before the ball is delivered.” Prasanna went on to say that Ashwin took undue advantage of the 22 yards and is feeling guilty now, going by his statements.
Match referee will decide: Rahane
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane said, “We are not supposed to comment on a controversial issue. The match referee will take the call. We will take the decision sportingly.”
Warne asks Stokes if he would Mankad Kohli? Stokes says no
New Delhi: Shane Warne asked if all those backing R Ashwin would be fine with Ben Stokes ‘Mankading’ Virat Kohli. Addressing those who saw nothing wrong in what Ashwin did, Warne asked if they would hold the same view if the batsman at the receiving end was Kohli and the bowler Stokes. “...If Ben Stokes did what Ashwin did to @imVkohli it would be ok?” he tweeted. Stokes, who plays for Rajasthan Royals, responded to the query. “Hopefully I’m playing in the World Cup final and if @imVkohli is batting when I’m bowling I would never ever ever ever ever ever.....just clarifying to the mentions I’ve received #hallabol,” he tweeted. — Agencies
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