Anderson might end up Mankading someone at some point: Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has absolutely “no regrets” having ‘Mankaded’ Jos Buttler in an IPL game and he will certainly not be surprised if he finds England pacer Jimmy Anderson, who ‘virtually’ ripped him to shreds, doing the same in near future.Recently a crass video of Jimmy Anderson ripping Ashwin’s picture into shreds went viral and many felt that it was done in bad taste.”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,” Ashwin told India Today.The senior India off-spinner is clear that what he did was within the purview of the playing conditions.
“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,” Ashwin said.
The ‘Mankading’ controversy evoked mixed reactions in the cricketing community with custodians of the game MCC also doing a flip-flop.Asked if the controversy has affected him, Ashwin answered in negative.”Not really, it hasn’t affected me one bit at all. I am very happy for the fact that they (former and current England players) are standing up for their fellow countryman. I definitely do think that my countrymen have also stood up for me. And it is only fair that your peers stand up for you,” he said.The MCC after initially stating that Ashwin was right, did a U-Turn, stating that the “bowler paused in his delivery stride and waited for the batsman to leave the crease before running him out”.
Ashwin said that the debates can continue “till cows come home”. “There have even been debates about whether I waited for him to walk out of the crease. But, what people don’t understand is that I hadn’t even reached the crease and he started walking away. Once your action is complete, you cannot go down and hit the stumps,” he said.
