Jos Buttler has been 'Mankaded' twice
Ravichandran Ashwin hit the 'Bull's Eye' in his second attempt after an aborted one seven years back
Jos Buttler has now been 'Mankaded' twice in his senior competitive career, while Ravichandran Ashwin 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, Sachin Tendulkar, the senior-most player on the field, had 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, tough the seniors in the team thought otherwise.
That his stand remains the same was evident on Monday night when he 'Mankaded' Buttler at a critical stage of a high-stakes encounter between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in IPL-12.
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 not there in current rules.
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 criticised Sri Lanka for not adhering to the 'spirit of the game' while Angelo Mathews 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 off 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 television replays. Those were the days when Doordarshan used to borrow the feed from the host country's broadcaster and the matter was never taken up officially.
However, one player, who might empathise with Ashwin is former India and Railways left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who had not once but twice 'Mankaded' batsmen in domestic matches.
Once, playing for Surrey, during the 2012 English county season, he 'Mankaded' Somerset batsman Alex Barrow, which led to him being booed by the home spectators at the Taunton ground.
The very next year, December 2013, things turned ugly when Kartik, during a Ranji match, dismissed Bengal batsman Sandipan Das in similar fashion, having warned him earlier.
An irate Bengal team, led by their senior pacer Ashok Dinda, hurled the choicest of abuses at him and even refused to shake hands at the end of the game.
During the same month, Bengal and Railways met again in the quarter-finals at the Eden Gardens and Kartik was booed time and again.
But 32 years ago, during a 1987 World Cup game in Lahore, the great West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh thrice warned No 11 batsman Saleem Jaffer, who was constantly backing up too far.
However, Walsh did not run him out; it allowed Abdul Qadir to hit a six and win the game for Pakistan.
Walsh was then presented a special medal by erstwhile Pakistan President Zia ul-Haq for showing 'sportsman spirit'.
The debate continues, as some legendary players like Sunil Gavaskar find it disgusting that one of India's most iconic cricketers Vinoo Mankad is attached to this controversial dismissal. Mankad was the first to do it back in 1947 during a tour of Australia.
"It was Bill Brown who got out, so why is it called 'Mankading' and not 'Browned'," Gavaskar has time and again asked.
Certainly, the debate is not going to end very soon.
