Former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath echoed in support of bowlers for practicing Mankading to get the batsman out. The veteran opines that if the batsman at nonstriker’s end moves inches out of the crease while the bowler has still not released the ball, he is not invoking the spirit of the game.
Srinath’s remark came after Delhi Capital’s coach Ricky Ponting opined that Mankading is against the spirit of the games. The former Aussie captain had also said that DC players, including Ravichandran Ashwin, would not be allowed to pull out such practice. The debate on Mankad had started after Ashwin had picked the wicket of Jos Buttler, at the nonstriker’s end, in the same way.
Javagal Srinath stands in support of Mankading
In the recent interaction with Ravichandran Ashwin on his Youtube show ‘DRS With Ash’, Srinath opined that he does not feel that the bowler is wrong if he runs out a batsman in this fashion.
“The bowler is focusing on the batsman. For the batsman (at the non-striker’s end) to stick to his crease till the ball is released is no big deal, because he’s not batting, nor is he thinking of anything else.” Srinath told Ashwin
“So the batsman shouldn’t leave the crease and the bowler should focus on just bowling and the batsman he’s going to bowl to. If the batsman is taking undue advantage, and if he’s involved in a run out, I am fine. I am perfectly okay with that,” Srinath said.
India’s former pace mainstay Javagal Srinath has opined that the batsman should stay inside the crease until the bowler has not delivered the ball.
“Don’t look for any empathy. Don’t invoke the spirit of the game. The spirit of the game is with the runner. He cannot move out of the crease. If he is doing it, he’s not invoking the spirit of the game itself. I would believe that the batsman should stick to the crease.”
The result is unfair: Javagal Srinath
Srinath said that the runner’s moving out of the crease can impact the outcome of a close game in an unfair manner. He added that the batsman should not be given an unfair advantage to move out four to five feet from the crease.
“Even if the batsman has inadvertently left the crease, and it happens to be the last ball of the match where there’s a run-out (chance) with the batsman in by an inch, but he has already taken three-foot forward before the ball has been delivered, the result is unfair.
“One of the teams will probably pay for it. I would like to see a balance here.”
“It cannot be that he’s gaining four to five feet advantage every ball. In T20, every ball matters. How many games go to the last ball?” he asked.
Meanwhile, the IPL is set to begin from 19th September and it would be interesting to see whether Ashwin would use Mankad to get the player out.