5 concrete reasons Mankading is not against the spirit of cricket

Mankading is something frowned upon in the sport of cricket. The act is committed when a bowler attempts to run out the non-striker before delivering the ball. It is surprising how much vitriol can be generated by an act which seems so simple. There have been instances when a team has been booed as they walk off the field for Mankading the opponent. Even the umpires have been known to ask the fielding captain to reconsider their appeal for a wicket when Mankading. The act has been portrayed as unsportsmanlike and is considered by some to be against the spirit of the sport.In spite of all the controversy generated by the act of Mankading, it still has its place in the sport. And perhaps deservedly so. Here are five reasons why Mankading is definitely not against the spirit of cricket.

#1 It is completely legal

Keemo Paul of West Indies ran out Richard Ngarava

It is a wonder that something which is so explicitly deemed legal in the rule books can be derided to such an extent that people end up questioning the legality of the act. People are often surprised at learning that Mankading has a clearly legal definition, here is how it is defined in the rule books:

'Bowler attempting to run out non-striker before delivery'

The bowler is permitted, before entering his delivery stride, to attempt to run out the non-striker. Whether the attempt is successful or not, the ball shall not count as one of the over. If the bowler fails in an attempt to run out the non-striker, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as possible.

That surely does not leave any room for misinterpretation.

#2 Batsman gains unfair advantage

Murali Kartik is in favour of Mankading

One fact which is oft ignored while dismissing the action of Mankading, is the advantage a non-striker gains by walking out of the crease. The pair of batsmen are supposed to run the complete 22 yards to complete one run. That is 22 yards, not a few inches lesser which the non-striker gains by sneaking out of the crease.

For the batsman at the non-striker’s end, if he has his eye on taking a quick single, he will look to sneak out. Batsmen have been observed timing an early run in order to reduce the odds of a run-out. It is not unusual to see a batsman bob in time with the bowler’s run up and sprint ahead even before the ball has left the bowler’s hand.

Murali Kartik has said "It's very simple; you are not allowed to steal anything in life so stealing anything whether an inch or a yard when it's a crucial time, it's not done.”

The batsmen do this in order to gain an advantage. The opportunity of Mankading only arises when the batsmen is committing an action which gives him an advantage. If the batsman is doing something to gain the upper hand, shouldn’t the bowler be allowed to attempt to nullify that advantage?

#3 Carelessness should not be rewarded

Sachithra Senanayake runs out Jos Buttler

The concept of rewarding carelessness is completely foreign in sports. If a batsman is careless in playing a shot, he risks losing his wicket. If a bowler bowls a careless delivery, he risks the batsman smashing him across the field. In any form of competition, carelessness results in some form of penalty.

It boggles the mind to think of how much a batsman’s carelessness is protected by convention. Consider that a bowler is being alert enough to notice a batsman is straying away from the crease repeatedly. The bowler then takes a gamble of attempting to run out that batsman, knowing that he has just one shot at it. The bowler is taking a calculated risk.

On the other hand, if a batsman claims to have been unaware about where his feet are and says that he was just meandering to and fro, that does not seem like grounds for reprive any more than if the batsman was attempting to take an early run.

#4 Rules state that batsmen should be in the crease

Grant Flower run out by Dipak Patel

If a batsman steps out of the crease to meet a delivery early and is stumped, that dismissal is considered as being within the spirit of the game. If the bowler oversteps the crease while bowling, the delivery is ruled as a no-ball. In both cases, players are penalized for overstepping the crease.

But when it comes to Mankading, for some reason people look at the overstepping of the crease with a forgiving eye. Being consistent with the spirit of the game would require one to see the gravity of overstepping the crease.

When a batsman oversteps, he can be stumped. When a bowler oversteps, the delivery is ruled as a no ball. The letter and spirit of the game both profess an immediate and absolute penalty for overstepping the crease. So if the batsman at non-striker's end is overstepping, it ought to be penalized as well. Especially when doing so offers an advantage.

The rule states that ‘A batsman shall be considered to be out of his ground unless his bat or some part of his person is grounded behind the popping crease at that end.’ If a batsman is not adhering to a concrete rule, then he is simply playing with his wicket.

#5 Bowlers repeatedly warn batsmen in many cases

Courtney Walsh is remembered fondly for warning Saleem Jaffer

Ideally, the bowler is not obliged to tell the batsman what he already knows, or should know: the fact that he is taking an early start. That would be like the batsman telling the bowler what shot he is going to attempt because the bowler would be at a disadvantage otherwise.

In the interest of taking the higher road, sometimes bowlers do warn the batsman before attempting to run them out. Pakistan’s manager Zakir Khan recalled an incident when the bowler gave the batsman a courtesy warning.

"It happened once in the 1987 World Cup too between West Indies and Pakistan when Abdul Qadir won us the match. Courtney Walsh was bowling the last over and he chose to give a warning [to Saleem Jaffer]. Pakistan will always remember Walsh for that gesture and the gentleman's spirit he showed.” he said.

Regarding the latest incident of Mankading, Keemo Paul of West Indies ran out Richard Ngarava in the U-19 World Cup match against Zimbabwe. It should be noted that the incident was ruled legal. But one has to concede that Paul did not give Ngarava a warning before running him out.

While it is a courtesy to offer a warning, the spirit of competition would suggest that one takes every advantage one can to win. And the best way to respect your opponent is by trying your level best to beat them.