The shorter format of Cricket game for bowlers is against the saying “To Err is Human to forgive is divine”. Err a bowler make, it is a divine for the batter. Rules like leg side trajectory is an err, No ball is an err and free hit is a divine, one bouncer is a divine but more bouncers are err. This has pushed the bowlers to find innovations such as side sling action, lower slide sling action and also to an extreme bowling ambidextrous.
In 1947/48 Australia tour after India attained independence, Vinoo Mankad came up with an innovation of getting out a batter before a ball is bowled. This was famously called as Mankad. Little did Mankad know that the bowler would feel guilt after a batter is out without bowling a delivery. This is like a paid holiday. It became a talking point for several years and treated more like a disrespectful act from the bowler and no way the rules could call it as not out.
However when one run is required of one ball with tail Enders batting, the non-striker can run halfway before the ball is bowled to steal a bye or other means. Once the match is won, no one talk about the run that was robbed when the batter started the run and finished the run with the bowler.
The IPL witnessed Ashwin Mankad Butler. The rules was weak which allowed batters to emote on the way back to pavilion reflecting the feel of deceived, not with the right spirit of the game etc etc. Ashwin is strong, he just washed out the guilt and carried on with his success run.
Today 9th March 2022, the Mankading is considered as fair play and treated as a run out in the laws of Cricket. Finally a rule which gives some respect to the bowler.
The Mankading guilt of the bowler is finally unshackled. The non-striker must now Innovate a loongoose (longer) bat to keep the body half way down the pitch and bat in the crease to steal a bye now or probably give company to run with the bowler from the bowling mark if they need a start. 😀
Finally to end, a new rule stating saliva to shine ball is not allowed. Would they really track, penalise and change the ball? It will be funny if it goes upstairs for DRS….(will leave it here to your imagination) 😀
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