Cricket world reacts to historic rule change on divisive dismissal
The ICC has made a number of cricket rule changes ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, most notably altering the nature of the controversial 'Mankad' dismissal.
Though a bowler running out a batsman for backing up too far at the non-striker's end has long been debated as an unsportsmanlike act, the ICC has changed the rules in order to reach more clarity.
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Famously dubbed a 'Mankad' after an Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad ran out Australia batsman Bill Brown in the 1948 Sydney Test using the method.
Rules surrounding the dismissal have now been moved from the 'unfair play' section of the rulebook to the 'run out' section, thereby legitimising the 'Mankad' as a dismissal.
There have been a number of heated debates in recents years about the act, sparked most notably by Indian spin bowler Ravi Ashwin in 2012 when he earned a wicket against Sri Lanka in a one-day international.
Ashwin once again fired up the debate during the 2019 Indian Premier League season when he got Jos Buttler out the same way - leaving the England star less than impressed.
The T20 World Cup, which kicks off in October, will be the first major tournament to be played under the clarified 'Mankad' rules.
But bowlers will no longer be allowed to attempt to run out the striker by advancing down the wicket before entering their delivery stride and throwing at the stumps. If they make such an attempt, it will be called a dead ball.
Cricket fans on social media had a range of responses to the clarification over the controversial cricketing act.
Glad Vinoo Mankad will no longer have the unfair and unethical tag attached to his name. It was always wrong to do so. He was never doing anything unfair to say this for so long was a mistake and disrespectful to one of the greatest players. Better late than never. https://t.co/kTSJc9Wmlv
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) September 20, 2022
Biggest decision by ICC: No more Mankad mention in cricket, it will be included in "Run-out" section.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 20, 2022
One of the good recent rules decisions by @ICC has been to officially remove any reference to mankading, instead referring to the running out of the non-striker. If the non-striker is trying to gain an advantage, they should be run out and off they go, just like in a stumping.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) September 20, 2022
Mankad is now Runout, good decision by ICC
— Shridhar (@shridharjaju) September 20, 2022
Vinoo Mankad gets his due, finally. Well done ICC. Teams that seek unfair privileges can beg for such sops by naming them after their own zeroes. @ICC @BCCI
— கார்த்திகேயன் 🇮🇳 (@karthikeyanvk) September 21, 2022
Mankad’s are now a GO no shame attached, ICC have moved them from unfair play section to official run out section of the rules.
— Johnny Drama (@jdrama68) September 21, 2022
A temporary ban on using saliva to shine cricket balls was also made permanent by the International Cricket Council.
The ICC said the ban on saliva to shine one side of the ball to help it swing through the air, brought in May 2020 as a temporary measure to prevent coronavirus transmission, would stay.
"The ban on saliva use has been in place for over two years in international cricket as a Covid-related temporary measure and it is considered appropriate for the ban to be made permanent," an ICC statement said.
The time taken by an incoming batter to take strike in Tests and one-day internationals is now reduced from three minutes to two while in T20 internationals it remains at 90 seconds.
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One of the other new rules says if fielders make any unfair and deliberate movements while the bowler is running in to bowl, the batting side can be awarded five penalty runs.
Another change allows the use of hybrid pitches at all men's and women's one-day and Twenty20 internationals.
Hybrid pitches, a blend of natural grass with artificial turf, have only been previously used in women's T20 internationals.
Additionally, new batters will come in at the striker's end after a catching dismissal even if those at the crease cross, the ICC has announced.
Crossing had allowed an incoming player a little more time to get up to speed and could prove crucial in tight contests in limited-overs cricket.
The ICC's new rule comes into effect on October 1, though the Hundred competition in England has already introduced such a change.
"When a batter is out caught, the new batter will come in at the end the striker was, regardless of whether the batters crossed prior to the catch being taken," the ICC said.
The governing body has also permanently banned the use of saliva to polish the ball. It had temporarily banned the practice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It had also clamped down on slow over rates in one-day internationals following recommendations by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of the game's laws.
As in Twenty20 Internationals, teams failing to bowl their full quota within the stipulated time will have to bring an additional player inside the 30-yard circle for the remainder of the innings.
This rule will come into effect after the conclusion of men's World Cup Super League in 2023.
With agencies
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