During a recent Big Bash League match, Tom Rogers of the Melbourne Renegades narrowly avoided being dismissed through a Mankad, a controversial method of dismissal in which the bowler runs out the non-striker before delivering the ball. Adam Zampa of the Melbourne Stars attempted to Mankad Rogers, but his bowling arm was past the vertical position when he made the attempt, making the dismissal illegal. As a result, Rogers was allowed to continue batting.
During the play, Zampa stopped his delivery stride and removed the bails from the wicket after seeing Rogers leave his crease early. The on-field umpires initially ruled it as a run out, but the third umpire overturned the decision due to the illegal nature of the Mankad attempt.
According to Melbourne Stars head coach David Hussey, had Adam Zampa’s Mankad attempt of the non-striker been successful and resulted in a dismissal, the team would have withdrawn their appeal of the decision. Hussey believes that attempting to Mankad a player is not the right way to play cricket and goes against the spirit of the game.
Adam Zampa has stated that he believes he was well within his rights to attempt a Mankad dismissal of the non-striker, as it is a legal tactic according to the rules of cricket.
Mankading: A Cricket Dismissal with a Controversial History
Mankading is a controversial dismissal in cricket that occurs when the bowler runs out the non-striker (the batsman at the other end of the pitch) before delivering the ball. The dismissal is named after Indian cricketer Vinoo Mankad, who famously dismissed Australian batsman Bill Brown in this manner during a Test match in 1947.
The dismissal is legal according to the laws of cricket, but it is considered to be against the spirit of the game by many players and fans. The non-striker is expected to remain within their crease until the ball is delivered, but they are also allowed a certain amount of movement to get their body into position to play the ball. The bowler is allowed to attempt to run out the non-striker if they believe that the non-striker has left their crease too early, but they must do so without interrupting their delivery stride.
Mankading has caused a lot of debate and controversy over the years, with some people arguing that it is a legitimate tactic and others claiming that it is unsportsmanlike. In recent years, there have been several instances of bowlers Mankading batsmen, which has led to some tension between teams and even caused a few on-field altercations.
Despite the controversy, Mankading remains a legal dismissal in cricket and is likely to continue to be a part of the game. However, it is up to individual players and teams to decide whether or not they want to use this tactic and risk damaging their reputation or alienating their opponents.
