'Mankading' not a case of bowlers breaching the spirit of cricket, opines Harsha Bhogle
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle believes that blaming the bowler for a 'Mankading' is absolutely not justified as it is the non-striker who is at fault and hence should be feeling the heat. Bhogle even questioned the masses asking for a warning when once run out at the non-striker’s end.
A recent incident of 'Mankading' in the quarter-finals of the ICC U19 World Cup between Pakistan and Afghanistan has fanned the debate about the morals and intent of bowler. Afghan offspinner Noor Ahmad run Pakistan opener Mohammad Huraira out at the non-striker’s end to end his emphatic 64 run knock.
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle shared that it’s not right in any angle to blame the bowler for the same when it’s the non-striker who is at fault. Bhogle pointed out that the non-striker should be penalised for strolling out of the crease and anyone advocating the issue of warning for the same is a “cave man.”
“The non striker is the one who should be feeling stupid and nobody else. The spirit of the game is broken by the person who wants to run less than the permissible limit to score a run,” Bhogle told on Cricbuzz Live.
“For the life in me, I cannot understand when people say you should warn when caught outside the crease. I can’t imagine when the ball going in air and fielder say, next time you hit it in the air I am gonna catch it. There is a law in place for a reason, I absolutely cannot understand which cave people are living in asking to warn someone.”
After the incident which has fuelled yet another fierce debate over the matter, Huraira realised his mistake in the case and promised to never repeat it in future.
Bhogle was also critical of calling the run out at the non striker’s end as “mankading”, as it has no string attached to the legendary Indian all rounder Vinoo Mankad, the first player to affect a similar run out. The famous analyst also pointed out the ambiguities in the law which facilitates unnecessary debate over the matter.