Jos Buttler innocent victim of Ravi Ashwin’s Mankad? Spare me the indignation

Cricketing greats were quick to condemn Ravi Ashwin and his Mankad dismissal of Jos Buttler, but, ROBERT CRADDOCK writes, why are we targetting a bloke for following the rules?

• Warne slams Ashwin over Buttler Mankad
• A brief history of cricketing ‘bromances’

I’m trying hard to shed a tear for Mankad victim Jos Buttler — but I just can’t get there.

You know why?

It’s because the quirky old spirit of cricket which we all love and cherish does not treat batsmen and bowlers equally.

If, in a Test match, Ravi Ashwin breaches the no-ball line by so much as a millimetre, a no-ball is called and there are no questions asked.

Yet batsmen just wander down the crease like Brown’s cows, taking massive liberties which traditionally go unpunished because that’s the way we play the game.

As Jason Gillespie said today: “If you don’t go over the speed limit in your car, you don’t get pinged.’’

Is it Fair Play for the batsman to walk out of the crease before the bowler delivers the ball?

— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) March 25, 2019

How much of the game do batsmen want in their favour?

They already have flat decks, heavy bats, short boundaries and rules which say the ball cannot be too high or wide.

How are they off for socks and undies?

Ravi Ashwin left Jos Buttler furious after a 'Mankad' run out during the IPL.

Buttler has been Mankaded before.

Ashwin has obviously done his research and realised he is a serial “wanderer.’’

In a sense it is still a surprise Ashwin would try it because he loves the heritage of the game.

He wrote a diary for Cricinfo at age 16 (proof read by his mother), has read every major cricket biography that comes on the market and loves watching cricket documentaries on television.

As Captain of your side - you set the standard of the way the team wants to play & what the team stands for ! Why do such a disgraceful & low act like that tonight ? You must live with yourself & FYI - it’s to late to say sorry Mr Ashwin. You will be remembered for that low act https://t.co/jGif2TOnjI

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 25, 2019

I would say to all India ex players/Pundits who are supportive of what R Ashwin did ... If @imVkohli was Batting would you be so supportive !!??? #NightAll #IPL #OnON

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2019

He is, in every sense, an old fashioned cricket “nuffy’’ who knew precisely what he was getting in to.

He would have read about how Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad ran out Australia’s Bill Brown twice in Australia and copped heaps from Australian crowds thereafter.

I am hearing a lot of talk about spirit of the game. This law specifically came in because, taking recourse to this very "spirit of the game" batsmen were running 6 inches less to complete a run.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 25, 2019

The irony was the dismissal brought Steve Smith to the crease who might well have wanted to say something about the spirit of cricket but thought … “actually, I might just say nothing.’’