Former Indian legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has called using the name ‘Mankad’ for dismissal as unacceptable.’ Mankad’ is named after legendary Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad, who first ‘Mankaded’ an Australian player Bill Brown in 1947. ‘Mankading’ is a method of running out where a bowler dismisses a non-striker by whipping off the bails before he finds a batsman well outside the crease.
A recent incident involving Ravichandran Ashwin and Aaron Finch in the DC vs RCB clash, where the former only warned Finch of Mankading when he was caught running early from the non-striker’s end. Ashwin, who has joined DC from KXIP this season did mankading of Jos Buttler, last season.
The first thing that struck me when I saw that was when will the Aussies learn? : Sunil Gavaskar on the incident involving Finch and Ashwin
Sunil Gavaskar questioned the rules for the batsman leaving the crease early and the added advantage involved with it. He said the field restrictions with a minimal flaw would call for a no-ball but there is no rule limiting the batsman at non-striker’s end to leave the crease substantially early.
“They have fielding restrictions that stipulate a minimum number of players within the 30-yard circle and if someone stands just a foot outside, then that’s ruled a no-ball. If someone gets out that ball, it’s not out.
“I have no issues with it, as that’s the rule. Why is it okay if a batsman does it at the non-striker’s end? In today’s time, thanks to technology, a batsman is run out even if it’s just millimeters and we fuss so much with endless replays to rule it out.
“It’s because of the mythical spirit of cricket, applied arbitrarily. Aaron Finch was almost a yard or yard-and-a-half down before Ashwin had released the ball. Just imagine the advantage the non-striker has,” Sunil Gavaskar told Indian Express.
Gavaskar said a thought struck him when he saw the Ashwin-Finch drama and that was when will the Australians learn because the first person to be Mankaded was an Australian in 1947 and its 2020 and still they haven’t learnt.
He added, “The first thing that struck me when I saw that was when will the Aussies learn? Because it happened to Bill Brown in 1947 and we are in 2020; they still haven’t learnt. The simple thing is you have to look at the bowler and move out when he releases. You can’t look at the batsman, like Finch was doing and walk out of the crease. The law is clear. It’s as simple as that.”
Sunil Gavaskar justifies his point of using the term ‘Brown’ instead of ‘Mankad’
Gavaskar opined that using Indian legendary cricketer, Vinoo Mankad’s name for unsportsmanlike behaviour in the sport is not acceptable to him. He said it baffles him to see so many in the Indian media using the term and that is not respectable to a legend.
Gavaskar suggests that the Indians should be the last to encourage the usage of such. He said he used ‘Brown’ while commentating when Ashwin warned Finch because Bill Brown was at fault in the history books, not Vinoo Mankad.
“Vinoo Mankad is a legend of Indian cricket, one of the great all-rounders who has won matches for India. And you use his name for, what is looked at by the cricketing world, as unsportsmanlike behaviour – that’s not acceptable to me.
“I don’t want an Indian legend’s name to be disparaged. It baffles me why so many in the Indian media keep using that word as if they don’t have any respect for any Indian legends. As Indians, we should be the last to encourage such usage. That’s why yesterday on television, I said Ashwin tried to Brown him. Because Bill Brown was at fault in 1947 and not Vinoo Mankad,” he added.
In an opportunity to ‘Brown’ Aaron Finch, Ravichandran Ashwin gave it a pass and just warned the batsman. Ashwin had been warned by DC head coach Ricky Ponting to avoid Mankading before the season started.