Cricket was not always so precious when it came to bowlers running out batsmen for backing up too far
To Dubai, and Ravi Ashwin’s ongoing escapades for the Delhi Capitals. Over the past few months Ashwin has been running something of a one-man campaign to legitimise cricket’s most nefarious means of dismissal, the Mankad. Which, if you need a gloss, is when the bowler runs out the batsman as he’s backing up at the non-striker’s end. Ashwin did it to Jos Buttler last season. “Disgraceful‚” said Shane Warne. “Completely out of order‚” said Michael Vaughan.
Ashwin was unapologetic. This year he has being coached by Ricky Ponting, who warned “we won’t be doing that”. Instead, Ponting said, he wanted Ashwin to “hold on to the ball and “tell the batsman to stay in his crease”.