Ravichandran Ashwin and Jason Holder agree on Mankading rule, disagree with popular opinion

India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and West Indies’ Jason Holder come across as two of the most cerebral cricketers of the present generation, and if they disagree in unision with the popular view on something, it is worth taking notice of. The two cricketers, referring to an incident from the England-South Africa match last Friday, were of the opinion that bowlers should use the ‘mankading’ form of dismissal more frequently.

Holder tweeted an image from the 19th over of the England innings in the match, which shows Moeen Ali well outside his crease as Kagiso Rabada is bowling. England needed 11 to win off 12 balls at that stage, and a wicket would have turned things around.

The West Indies U-19 team were caught in a controversy last month because they had clinched a match in the U19 World Cup by using the controversial dismissal at the very close of a crucial match. There was a lot of criticism which rained down on the youngster Keemo Paul for having resorted to ‘mankading’, and the term ‘spirit of cricket’ was thrown about a lot.

The image that has emerged off Moeen Ali shows him a yard outside his crease, ready to take a run at his partner Chris Jordan’s bidding.

Holder was implicitly saying that Rabada should have run Moeen Ali out, but tweeted the image with the words, “I'm sure based on the reactions from the U-19 WC, I as the bowler should allow this to happen. Madness.”

Holder and Ashwin were two cricketers who had defended the youngster Keemo Paul back then, on the basis of the argument that batsmen on the non-striker’s end should not be given an advantage of having covered a few yards before the ball is bowled.

Ashwin replied to Holder’s tweet, saying it was unfortunate how cricketers need to make peace with popular opinion – which on the matter of mankading is that ‘spirit of cricket’ should make the bowler refrain from such a mode of dismissal.

Harsha Bhogle agreed with the view of the two bowlers as well:

I'm sure based on the reactions from the U-19 WC, I as the bowler should allow this to happen.#madness https://t.co/PifKeXJ5uQ

— Jason Holder (@Jaseholder98) March 21, 2016

@Jaseholder98 @MikeHaysman Unfortunate ways of living with popular opinions.

— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) March 22, 2016

@MikeHaysman Just saw this. Easiest thing to do. Take off the bails and wish the non-striker well in his next innngs!!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 22, 2016