Mankaded!

Last Week, I was watching an inter-college, 8 a side, 10 over cricket match. Chasing 65 to win, the team batting second was 6 wickets down and needed 15 to win of the last two overs. What followed was quite interesting and fascinating. The bowler, as he entered into his delivery stride sensing that the non-striker had backed up too far down the wicket, removed the bails and appealed for a runout. The umpire, as ignorant as many of us seemingly knowledgeable cricket fans believed that the rule allows batsman at the non-strikers’ end to take a start as soon as the bowler’s back foot lands. The batsman was declared not-out and the team chasing went on to win the game.

Later, when I read up on the rule, it said that, starting with the India-England ODI series in October 2011, a few new rules will be in effect. One of the rules regarding running out a batsman has been changed. As per the new rule the bowler is well within his rights to runout a batsman before he completes his swing. Amidst other rules regarding 2 new balls, no runner allowed, power play options rule change, this rule was obscured and missed many a cricket watcher’s eye including mine.

The rule itself is fascinating and considering the Indian connection, all of us (Indians) should take pride in it. Vinoo Mankad wouldn’t have known back in 1947 that the form of dismissal would be christened his name. Despite India losing to South Africa in that famous come back series, Kapil Dev‘s dismissal of Peter Kirsten will always be remembered. Both Vinoo Mankad and Kapil Dev had warned the batsman once before effecting the run-out which is a thumbs up to them on the ethical quotient as well.

In the ongoing Commonwealth Bank series, Suresh Raina and Ashwin had warned the Aussie batsman from backing up too far which goes to show that either the rule is not known to some of the players and highlight how batsman still exploit the bowler’s negligence. Either ways, ICC has restored some of the balance towards the bowling side particularly in the shorter formats by bringing about these new rules.