Ben Stokes claims he would never resort to a ‘Mankad’ dismissal even if it helped England win the World Cup.
The cricket world is debating the practice again after Ravi Ashwin used it to run out Jos Buttler in an IPL match yesterday.
The dismissal — which involves a bowler interrupting his delivery to run out a batsman who has left his ground at the non-striker’s end — was named after India bowler Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia batsman Bill Brown in a similar manner in 1947.
It divides opinion in cricket, with many considering it to be the epitome of unsportsmanlike behaviour. Ashwin defended his actions but Stokes — who played alongside Buttler for Rajasthan Royals in the match — insisted he would always resist the temptation to do so, even if the prize was the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli in the final of this year’s World Cup at Lord’s.
The England all-rounder tweeted: “Hopefully I’m playing in the World Cup final and if @imVkohli is batting when I’m bowling I would never ever ever ever ever... just clarifying to the mentions I’ve received.”
Buttler was furious after the incident, which happened during an IPL clash against Ashwin’s Kings XI Punjab.
He was backed by England one-day captain Eoin Morgan and Australia great Shane Warne, who works for the Royals. But Ashwin insisted: “On my part, it was very instinctive. It was not planned or anything like that. It’s there within the rules of the game.
“I don’t understand where the spirit of the game comes, naturally if it’s there in the rules it’s there. What applies for one man does not apply for everyone else.”
Buttler has been Mankaded before, by Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake during a one-day international at Edgbaston in 2014.
