‘Shredder might do the trick’: R Ashwin takes a dig at James Anderson over Mankad law

This is not the first time that R Ashwin and James Anderson have spoken out regarding the Mankading law in the game.

India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin took a dig at England pacer James Anderson after the latter suggested Mankad-ing should be removed from the game. “If the non-striker is out of his ground from the moment the ball comes into play, to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the bowler is permitted to attempt to run him out,” states the law on Mankad-ing.

James Anderson and R Ashwin (R) (GregJames/ Twitter and BCCI)

When a bowler runs out a batsman in this fashion, it is informally called Mankad-ing. The name for such run outs was coined when Vinoo Mankad ran out Bill Brown twice at the non-striker’s end before delivering the ball in India’s tour of Australia in 1948. The Australian media called the act unsportsmanlike, however, the then Australian captain Don Bradman supported Mankad’s action.

Anderson shared an Under19 World Cup 2020 video on social media where Afghanistan bowler Noor Ahmed was seen Mankading Pakistan’s Mohammad Huraira. Anderson’s post read: “Can we sort out (remove) this law please @ICC #MCC??”

He used the shredder reference because Anderson had shredded Ashwin’s photo after he used Mankad technique to dismiss Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash last season.

To this tasteless video of Anderson, Ashwin had told Times of India: “Today Jimmy Anderson might feel that whatever I did was wrong. Maybe, tomorrow he might end up doing (Mankading) it. Who knows, it is all a question of perception of right and wrong. I don’t think in this case it is necessary because it is in the law and I did.”

“Everybody who know me, it is very clear (to them) that I don’t do anything that is illegal. Even my team has stood behind me since then. A lot many players have come to me and said whatever I did was absolutely right.”