Stigma gets run out

The Marylebone Cricket Club MCC on Wednesday took a significant step towards removing the stigma related to the bowler who runs out a batsman backing up too far at the nonstrikerrsquos endThe custodians of the game decided to move Law 4116 running out the nonstriker often termed as lsquoMankadedrsquo from Law 41 related to unfair play to Law 38 which is about run outs The wording of the law will remain the same the MCC said in a release and will come into effect from OctoberA screengrab of the dismissalMore power to bowlersInvariably there would be debates aplenty whenever a bowler dismisses a batsman at the nonstrikerrsquos end for backing up too far even before the delivery is bowledMurali Kartik the former India leftarm spinner who has effected five dismissals at the nonstrikerrsquos end lauded the MCCrsquos decision and felt the change will empower bowlers in a big way ldquoThings will change I havenrsquot seen the Spirit of the Game book but I suppose it shouldnrsquot appear a crime from now onwards The bowlers will feel a lot more empowered to do what they have felt was always rightrdquo Kartik told middayMurali Kartik and Suresh ShastriOften such dismissals would end up in controversy and it was thought to be against the Spirit of the Game Kartik however disagreed with it ldquoIt was always a fair dismissal Itrsquos just that the interpretation was according to the convenience of people who wanted to invoke the Spirit of Cricket I suppose it is a good time to modify the rule because although it was already there people just wanted to interpret it to their convenience It was always a dismissal within the rulebook Itrsquos always the nonstriker who is stealing yards and not doing the right thing Because they nonstrikers were doing it for years and centuries and were getting away with it everybody thought it was their divine right to just walk as if they were at a picnicrdquo said KartikMeanwhile former international umpire Suresh Shastri welcomed the change ldquoEarlier yes the bowler used to warn the nonstriker but now there is no such need You can just dismiss the nonstriker without any warning and the umpire will also have to straightaway give the nonstriker out The umpires too should not ask the fielding team whether they want to withdraw their appeal I really welcome this change in the lawrdquo said Shastri who umpired in two Tests 19 ODIs and one T20IBack in 1947Thanks to the Australian press this mode of dismissal was also called lsquoMankadingrsquo after India great Vinoo Mankad dismissed Australian Bill Brown during the 194748 tour Down Under for backing up too farKartik hoped that the usage of lsquoMankadingrsquo would stop now ldquoItrsquos just that whichever part of the world wanted to use it they used the term For a long time we have been terming it a run out Even the MCC laws says itrsquos a run out and not lsquoMankadingrsquo Even before this it was always called a run out at the nonstrikerrsquos end for backing up too farrdquo said Kartik Shastri credited RahulMankad for taking up the issue with the ICC ldquoIt the modification in law should have come a long time back It has given a very bad name to our great Vinoo Mankad Credit must also go to Rahul Mankad his son who has taken this issue up with the ICC and the BCCI It is a run outhellipperiodrdquo said ShastriOther significant rule changesUnfair movement by the fielderUntil now any member of the fielding side who moved unfairly was punished only with a lsquoDead ballrsquo Given the action is both unfair and deliberate the batting side will be awarded five penalty runsNo salivaThe new Laws will not permit the use of saliva on the ball which also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ballNew batsman will always take strikeLaw 1811 has now been changed so that when a batter is out Caught the new batter shall come in at the end the striker was at ie to face the next ball unless it is the end of an overCourtesy MCC website