Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar on Monday slammed the usage of the term “Mankading” in cricket, calling it an insult to one of Indian cricket’s earliest greats Vinoo Mankad, reported cricket.com.au.
The practice of “Mankading” in cricket generally refers to a bowler running out a non-striker in his delivery stride after the batsman has backed up too far. It was given this moniker because of Vinoo Mankad who ran out Australia’s Bill Brown during a Test match in 1947 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“I have grave objections to that because it’s putting one of India’s cricketing legends in a bad light,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying to television channel Sony Max. “He has been one of India’s all-time great cricketers.”
The former Indian opener added, “If it ... has to be referred by somebody’s name, it should be [named after] the non-striker. Who, despite being warned twice by Mr Mankad ... he left [his crease]. And the third time was when Mankad removed the bails and so suddenly there was an uproar created.”
Gavaskar also suggested that the dismissal should be called “Browned” and justified it by saying that it was the non-striker who was at fault at that time. “Our legend’s name should not be spoiled,” said Gavaskar. “If you want to call it anything, just say the batsman was ‘Browned’, not ‘Mankaded’.”
While the dismissal has always been a part of the official Laws of Cricket, the act of “Mankading” has a grey area in the game with the act often being considered unsportsmanlike with those who do it being often accused of not playing within the “spirit” of the game.
But, defenders of the dismissal point to the fact that they are completely justified in running out a non-striker who takes unfair advantage by backing up too much. Recently, the Marylebone Cricket Club, in an update to the Laws of Cricket, attempted to put the onus back on the batsmen to stay within their ground.
“It is often the bowler who is criticised for attempting such a run out but it is the batsman who is attempting to gain an advantage,” said the MCC. “The message to the non-striker is very clear – if you do not want to risk being run out, stay within your ground until the bowler has released the ball.”
Considered of Indian cricket’s greatest all-rounders, Vinoo Mankad was criticised for being unsportsmanlike when he dismissed Brown, though both the non-striker and Don Bradman, who was the Australian captain in that Test, backed Mankad.
Gavaskar also completely defended the bowler in this scenario.
“There’s no debate as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “If the batsman is trying to take an unfair advantage by leaving the crease before the ball has been delivered, I think the bowler has every right to remove the bails. Even without warning him.”