India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has reignited the controversy over “Mankad” dismissals, calling for new sanctions against batsmen who back up too far.
Ashwin caused an international debate last year about the spirit of cricket after he dismissed England’s Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end in an Indian Premier League game.
Ashwin said offenders could be deducted runs or the bowling team could get a “free ball” and that off-field umpires should be more active.
“Just hope that technology will see if a batsmen is backing up before the bowler bowls a ball and disallow the runs of that ball every time the batter does so,” Ashwin said in one of a series of Twitter comments Tuesday.
“Thus, parity will be restored as far as the front line is concerned.”
He said an alternative would be to give the bowler “a free ball” straight after batsmen has backed up too far, to add “some fairness”.
Ashwin did not explain what a free ball would be but there was speculation that it could be a bowling version of a “free hit” — no runs allowed, but the batsman can be dismissed.
The International Cricket Council on Monday announced that TV umpires would watch for front-foot no balls during the one-day World Cup Super League starting Thursday.
That could enable them also to see if a batsman was out of his ground at the non-striker’s end.
The run out controversy erupted when Ashwin, captain of Kings XI Punjab, checked his run as Rajasthan Royals batsman Buttler left his crease, and whipped off the bails.
The rarely-used dismissal is legal but many say it is not in the spirit of the deeply traditional sport.
Buttler said at the time “the wrong decision” was made and has also called for a clarification of the laws.
The dismissal is named after Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, who twice ran out Bill Brown at the bowler’s end during India’s tour of Australia in 1947.
Ashwin called Mankad “an Indian legend” in his Twitter comments and added: “The Bill Browns should stop it!!.”
