‘Biggest flop’: Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry denounces controversial ‘Mankad’ dismissal

Ellyse Perry has denounced the controversial “Mankad” dismissal after Deepti Sharma’s infamous run out divided the cricket world.

Ellyse Perry and Charlie Dean.

Australian superstar Ellyse Perry has denounced the controversial “Mankad” dismissal after Deepti Sharma’s infamous run-out sparked heated debate among the cricket community this week.

On Saturday evening, India won its third ODI against England in bizarre circumstances with Sharma taking the final wicket of the low-scoring match by running out Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end.

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In the 44th over of the run chase, England required 17 runs for victory when Dean wandered out of the crease while Sharma was in her delivery stride.

The Indian spinner quickly turned around and dislodged the bails, a dismissal colloquially referred to as a “Mankad”, prompting a chorus of boos from the English spectators.

The incident divided the cricket world – running out the non-striker is permitted in the Laws of Cricket, but many consider the act unsportsmanlike.

Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Perry declared she would never attempt to run out a non-striker — with one possible exception.

“I think the overall gist is no good, don’t do it, but if you’re going to do it, do it to England,” she laughed.

“I’ve actually spent a good month or so with Deepti Sharma, just recently in the UK at The Hundred at the Birmingham Pheonix.

“I can honestly tell you she he is the sweetest human being on the planet. So quietly spoken, butter wouldn’t melt, and then just comes out on the field with a bit of white line fever.

“It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?

“If someone is very obviously lading off before the ball’s been bowled by a long margin, you’d probably say something to the umpire.

“Besides that, I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation about chucking a Mankad.

“I don’t like it, at all. It’s just the biggest flop of a wicket.”

On Sunday, Marylebone Cricket Club, the sport’s custodians and lawmakers, confirmed that Sharma’s run-out was entirely within the Laws of the game.

“Respectful debate is healthy and should continue, as where one person sees the bowler as breaching the Spirit in such examples, another will point at the non-striker gaining an unfair advantage by leaving their ground early,” the statement read.
“MCC’s message to non-strikers continues to be to remain in their ground until they have seen the ball leave the bowler’s hand. Then dismissals, such as the one seen yesterday, cannot happen.

“Whilst yesterday was indeed an unusual end to an exciting match, it was properly officiated and should not be considered as anything more.”

Ellyse Perry of Australia. Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images

The term “Mankading” was coined 70 years ago when Indian great Vinoo Mankad twice ran out Bill Brown at the bowler’s end during India’s tour of Australia in 1947.

It has remained a divisive topic in the sport ever since.

In March, MCC removed running out the non-striker from the “Unfair Play” section of the Laws, making it a legitimate form of dismissal.

The International Cricket Council endorsed the decision last week, but that hasn’t stopped cricket pundits from voicing their disgust at Sharma’s act.

Speaking to talkSPORT this week, England white-call captain Jos Buttler claimed he would call the batter back if one of his bowlers used the Mankad method to run out an Australian batter in the World Cup final.

“No one wants to see (Mankad dismissals) in the game because they always create such a talking point when it should be about the battle between bat and ball and watching great games of cricket,” he said.

“They always seem to happen at unsavoury times.”

“I understand you have to have the rule there so people can’t just gain an unfair advantage, but they should re-word it because the way the law is written gives a lot of grey areas with the ‘expected to bowl’ part, so maybe if they just tightened that up.”

Charlie Dean of England. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

In a fresh twist to the drama, England skipper Heather Knight has accused India of “lying” after the visitors claimed they had warned Dean before dismissing her.

After arriving back in India earlier this week, Sharma told reporters: “That was our plan because she was repeatedly doing it and we had warned them too. We had also informed the umpires. But still she was right there so there wasn’t much we could do. We did everything according to the rules and guidelines.”

But Knight, who missed the series after undergoing recent hip surgery, hit back via social media, denying Dean has ever been warned about leaving the crease too early.

“The game is over, Charlie was dismissed legitimately. India were deserved winners of the match and the series,” she tweeted.

“But no warnings were given. They don’t need to be given, so it hasn’t made the dismissal any less legitimate …

“But if they’re comfortable with the decision to affect the run out, India shouldn’t feel the need to justify it by lying about warnings.”