Earlier this month, the Marylebone Cricket Club made a number of revisions to the existing rules of play. One of the major amendments was moving the running-out of non-striker from ‘Unfair Play’ to Law 38, which concerns ‘Run Out’. The mode of dismissal, more commonly known as ‘Mankad’, has been used by a number of bowlers including India's Ravichandran Ashwin, but there remained a considerable opposition to the use of dismissal, which is deemed by many as unfair.
Following the inclusion of dismissal in ‘run out’ law, Ashwin spoke in detail about the development on his official YouTube channel. The veteran off-spinner said that the “actual unfair play” is non-striker leaving the crease early.
“They mentioned the run-out at the non-striker's end tried by the bowler under the 'unfair play' category. Non-striker leaving the crease early is the actual unfair play in this whole scenario, not the bowler running them out,” Ashwin said.
"Earlier, it was termed as a Mankad, named after our Indian cricket legend. But it has been changed now to run-out. They have destigmatized the entire concept and have termed it under run-out law. Bowler was earlier expected to give a warning when the batsmen leave the crease at the non-striker's end.
“Now they have announced that what the non-striker is doing is only wrong and therefore, bowlers can actually run them out if the non-striker tries to leave the crease before the ball is delivered by the bowler.”
{{/usCountry}}“Now they have announced that what the non-striker is doing is only wrong and therefore, bowlers can actually run them out if the non-striker tries to leave the crease before the ball is delivered by the bowler.”
{{/usCountry}}Ashwin, whose use of the dismissal in IPL 2019 against Jos Buttler drew significant eyeballs from all around the cricket fraternity, also had a message for his ‘fellow bowlers’, insisting that they shouldn't have any second thoughts on running the non-striker out.
"Bowlers used to feel bad for doing this earlier wondering what our team batsmen will feel when we do that and what will the cricketing world think if we do that? So, thinking about these consequences, they used to not run them out.
“My dear fellow bowlers, please understand. The extra step the non-striker is taking might end up destroying your entire career. If the non-striker ends up on strike because of that extra step he is taking, he might smash a six. Whereas, the current striker might have gotten out. If you take a wicket, you will grow in your career, whereas, if you are smashed for a six, your career might go downwards. So, the impact is huge,” said Ashwin.
“So, bowlers should not have any second thoughts on running the non-striker out is my opinion. The MCC is very specific on the non-striker not taking that extra yard before the bowler delivers the ball. They are giving the allowance to the bowler. This is the significance of that rule.”