IPL 2019 | Ravichandran Ashwin was within Laws of Cricket during Mankading Jos Butler, explains MCC

It was the 13th over of the Rajasthan Royals innings when Butler was well set on 69 and Ashwin decided to get rid of the dangerous batsman by Mankading him. Ever since the incident took place on the third day of the league in Jaipur, there has been a lot of discussion over the controversial issue of stumping. Many former cricketers have questioned Ashwin’s Spirit of Cricket and his way of dismissing the batsman.

However, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has declared in a statement that the KXIP skipper was within the laws of the game while dismissing Butler in a weird manner. 

“In relation to the incident, the wording of the Law needs to be examined to understand it further. This Law is essential. Without it, non-strikers could back up at liberty, several yards down the pitch and a Law is needed to prevent such action,” the MCC statement read.

According to MCC’s Law 41.16 Non-striker leaving his/her ground early, “If the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out. Whether the attempt is successful or not, the ball shall not count as one in the over.

“If the bowler fails in an attempt to run out the non-striker, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as possible.

“The crux of the issue is when the non-striker can safely leave his/her ground, and what the bowler can do to effect this form of dismissal without courting controversy. To clarify, it has never been in the Laws that a warning should be given to the non-striker and nor is it against the Spirit of Cricket to run out a non-striker who is seeking to gain an advantage by leaving his/her ground early. Furthermore, with batsmen now being deemed in or out by millimetres by TV replays on quick singles, it is right that they should remain in their ground at the non-striker’s end until it is fair for them to leave.

"Yesterday’s incident could have been ruled out or not out, depending on how “the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball” is interpreted. Some feel that Ashwin delayed his action to allow Buttler the chance to leave his ground and that Buttler was in his ground when he expected the ball to be released. If it was a deliberate delay, that would be unfair and against the Spirit of Cricket. Ashwin claims this not to be the case."