Last week Ashwin mankaded Joss Buttler in an IPL game. Without a warning. Even stopping for a non-reasonable amount of time in his delivery stride so that Buttler's natural momentum took him outside the crease. This divided the whole cricketing world into two halves. Some of them called it "disgraceful", "unsportsmanlike", "unfair" whereas some of them termed it as "well within his rights", "spirit is no substitute for the laws" and so on.
My personal take on this: Initially, I was very very annoyed, gutted, and fuming over R. Ashwin's actions. Multiple reasons behind this: First, I never liked Ashwin much as a cricketer. Second, I have always liked Joss Buttler. Third, I like Rajasthan Royals in general too and I wanted them to have a good start to their IPL campaign. Fourth, Rajasthan Royals lost the game eventually because of this mankading.
I even posted some angry tweets and pictures of castigating R. Ashwin over social media depicting how much I despised his actions.
But, as time went on and I thought a lot about it during sleep and other free times, I realised that I was being naive. It was Joss who was at fault like so many other batsmen who have been mankaded in the past. If you don't want smoke, don't light the fire. If you don't want to be mankaded, just stand your ground behind popping crease till the ball is delivered. It is as simple as that. The non-strike batsmen give excuse that now-a-days balls are hit back so hard in their direction they won't get time to react or get out of the way if they first follow the bowler's hand and then the other end. To that, I say that is not good enough excuse. Batsmen are having full protection and they have to start putting heavier prices on their wickets. They can't expect bowlers to be generous anymore. Remember, now-a-days after every dismissal bowlers are checked for no-balls and there is no margin for them. Not even a single centimetres. If they can live with it, batsmen better learn it as well.
Now-a-days, cricket has grown multiple folds. It is no longer the great gentleman's game which used to be played only during free times by the higher society people of England. The game has reached different corners and societies of the world. Cricketers are under tremendous pressure to deliver. They get million of bucks to entertain us and with every ball, there is so much at stake. Victory and losses often decide the paths your career will take. Is it so surprising and wrong to see R. Ashwin do what he did considering the circumstances? Remember: He is the captain of Kings XI Punjab and last year, they couldn't qualify for the play-offs despite being table toppers for most of the season. The director of their cricket, Virender Sehwag was let go and so many coaching staff changes happened. They have the second worst record among all IPL teams (after Delhi Daredevils maybe). They must be feeling the heat. Loss in opening game wouldn't have done them much favours.
The custodians of our game, MCC who made the original laws of cricket called the dismissal within the rules. Though, after further scrutiny, one day later they deemed the extra-long pause taken by Ashwin before the delivery "not-in-the-spirit-of-the-game". I have huge amount of respect for MCC and if they think the dismissal was legal, then who am I to question it? I agree with them whole-heartedly. Personally, I would never have done it. But, I still feel Ashwin did what he did was right thing to do. If I were Ashwin, I would have given Joss Buttler a fair warning and that warning would have been applicable for all the other batters of his side too.
Just one warning, that's all. If they try to take advantage after that, all bets are off.
What really worries me despite being able to understand why this happened is: Where do we draw the line at all? What if it becomes a tactic to get rid of premier batsman of the opposition side? How far we are away from mankading being discussed in the dressing room and among the coach-captain conversation? If that happens, that would be a real sad day for those who love and worship the game.
We will see this so called "mankading" dismissal a lot in coming years and I have a feeling that I will make peace with it eventually. It is here to stay. Similar to other sports, cricket will very soon become a game of "win at all costs", no doubt about that. I guess, that is evolution.
My personal take on this: Initially, I was very very annoyed, gutted, and fuming over R. Ashwin's actions. Multiple reasons behind this: First, I never liked Ashwin much as a cricketer. Second, I have always liked Joss Buttler. Third, I like Rajasthan Royals in general too and I wanted them to have a good start to their IPL campaign. Fourth, Rajasthan Royals lost the game eventually because of this mankading.
I even posted some angry tweets and pictures of castigating R. Ashwin over social media depicting how much I despised his actions.
But, as time went on and I thought a lot about it during sleep and other free times, I realised that I was being naive. It was Joss who was at fault like so many other batsmen who have been mankaded in the past. If you don't want smoke, don't light the fire. If you don't want to be mankaded, just stand your ground behind popping crease till the ball is delivered. It is as simple as that. The non-strike batsmen give excuse that now-a-days balls are hit back so hard in their direction they won't get time to react or get out of the way if they first follow the bowler's hand and then the other end. To that, I say that is not good enough excuse. Batsmen are having full protection and they have to start putting heavier prices on their wickets. They can't expect bowlers to be generous anymore. Remember, now-a-days after every dismissal bowlers are checked for no-balls and there is no margin for them. Not even a single centimetres. If they can live with it, batsmen better learn it as well.
Now-a-days, cricket has grown multiple folds. It is no longer the great gentleman's game which used to be played only during free times by the higher society people of England. The game has reached different corners and societies of the world. Cricketers are under tremendous pressure to deliver. They get million of bucks to entertain us and with every ball, there is so much at stake. Victory and losses often decide the paths your career will take. Is it so surprising and wrong to see R. Ashwin do what he did considering the circumstances? Remember: He is the captain of Kings XI Punjab and last year, they couldn't qualify for the play-offs despite being table toppers for most of the season. The director of their cricket, Virender Sehwag was let go and so many coaching staff changes happened. They have the second worst record among all IPL teams (after Delhi Daredevils maybe). They must be feeling the heat. Loss in opening game wouldn't have done them much favours.
The custodians of our game, MCC who made the original laws of cricket called the dismissal within the rules. Though, after further scrutiny, one day later they deemed the extra-long pause taken by Ashwin before the delivery "not-in-the-spirit-of-the-game". I have huge amount of respect for MCC and if they think the dismissal was legal, then who am I to question it? I agree with them whole-heartedly. Personally, I would never have done it. But, I still feel Ashwin did what he did was right thing to do. If I were Ashwin, I would have given Joss Buttler a fair warning and that warning would have been applicable for all the other batters of his side too.
Just one warning, that's all. If they try to take advantage after that, all bets are off.
What really worries me despite being able to understand why this happened is: Where do we draw the line at all? What if it becomes a tactic to get rid of premier batsman of the opposition side? How far we are away from mankading being discussed in the dressing room and among the coach-captain conversation? If that happens, that would be a real sad day for those who love and worship the game.
We will see this so called "mankading" dismissal a lot in coming years and I have a feeling that I will make peace with it eventually. It is here to stay. Similar to other sports, cricket will very soon become a game of "win at all costs", no doubt about that. I guess, that is evolution.
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