Of Ashwin, Buttler and the spirit of ‘Mankading’
Jos Buttler has now been ‘Mankaded’ twice in his senior competitive career while Ravichandran Ashwin has hit the ‘Bull’s Eye’ in his second attempt after an aborted one seven years back.The two protagonists in the latest episode of ‘Mankading and the ensuing Spirit of Cricket debate’, have been there and done that.On February 21, 2012 during a Commonwealth Bank series game against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Ashwin had ‘Mankaded’ non-striker Lahiru Thirimanne for backing up too far.However, seniormost player Sachin Tendulkar was seen having a word with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, who then withdrew the appeal against Thirimanne.Ashwin was a junior player back then but believed that he was well within his rights to dismiss Thirimanne but seniors in the team thought otherwise.
That his stand has remained the same was evident on Monday night when he ‘Mankaded’ Buttler at a critical stage of a high-stakes IPL encounter.As far as Buttler is concerned, he also has not deviated from his stand that a bowler should warn a non-striker batsman before running him out on delivery stride, something that is not there in current rules.And Sachithra Senanayeke, an out-of-favour Sri Lankan off-spinner did warn Buttler on June 3, 2014 during an ODI at the Edgbaston ground before ‘Mankading’ him.England’s then captain Alastair Cook and coach Peter Moores had criticised Sri Lanka for not adhering to the ‘spirit of the game’ while Angelo Mathews had backed his player.
The ‘spirit of cricket’ has always been a grey area when it comes to ‘Mankading’. Kapil Dev was lambasted after carrying out the act against Peter Kirsten in an ODI at Port Elizabeth on December 3, 1992.Kapil had warned Kirsten senior (elder step brother of former India coach Gary) before whipping the bails at the non-striker’s end after loading up.
A furious Kirsten left the field and it didn’t go down well with then skipper Kepler Wessels.Just after the incident, while taking the second run, Wessels dangled his bat in such a manner that it hit Kapil on his shin bone and he looked in pain. With no match referees in those days, Wessels went scot-free despite TV replays.
