In 2019, a controversy erupted over run-out at non-striker’s end in the IPL (Ravichandran Ashwin and Jos Buttler) which created a huge uproar and recently something of the same sort happened in the Australian T20 league Big Bash League but the result was quite different.
We are talking about the match which was played between Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades. In this match, skipper of MS, Adam Zampa tried to run-out Tom Rogers (MR player) who was at the non-strikers end when Zampa was bowling but the umpires gave decision in favor of Rogers because Zampa brought his hand down from the point from where the ball is released by the bowler. The on-field umpire confirmed it from the third umpire that Adam Zampa’s hand was at the vertical from where it is deemed that the ball is released when he brought it down to remove the bails because of which Tim Rogers was given not out.
Once again people have started discussing about this way of dismissal because a number of people think that it is against the spirit of the game despite the fact that it has been declared as the legal way of run-out. When things seemed to settle down, the coach of Melbourne Stars made things uglier by saying that he would have called back Tim Rogers if umpires had given him out.
Now, the Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who was at the center of controversy after he mankaded Jos Buttler in the IPL 2019 has reacted on this matter on his YouTube channel. While speaking on his channel, Ashwin says that he is really tired of talking or writing about this topic because there are many who start preaching as something happens. However, he adds that one thing which he has loved in this incident is the stare that Adam Zampa gave to Tom Rogers after removing the bails without saying anything as it was equivalent to the stare given by Undertaker in WWE and the batter also stood over there silently waiting for the umpire to give his decision.
Ashwin further says that many will talk about the legality of the dismissal and various other things such as Zampa completed his run-up, action, etc. but the thing to be noted is that when he was about to bowl, just then the non-striker started running. Ashwin adds that as per the rule, the batter can run only after the bowler releases the ball because then he can’t run-out the batter and this in itself is an advantage for the batter standing at the non-striker end. He further says that this is a big benefit in T20I as in this format, batters rarely play defensive shots.
Ravichandran Ashwin also slammed the coach of Melbourne Stars, David Hussey for his statement that he would have called Tom Rogers back if he had been given out by the umpires. Ashwin says that he doesn’t believe Hussey at all because if he really wanted to withdraw the appeal, he should not have let it go to the third umpire. Ashwin asked why in the first place he wanted to withdraw the appeal and if he had done that, it would have been a big insult to the bowler.
Speaking further, Ravichandran Ashwin said that if he had been the bowler and if he had run-out a non-striker but captain and coach would have withdrawn the appeal, he must have felt very insulted and as a bowler, he would have questioned himself for playing in the team when his team, captain and coach are not supporting him. Ashwin said that the bowler would have felt sad and depressed and David Hussey may say that this is how cricket should be played but this is not correct because this is how you want to play cricket.
Do you agree with Ravichandran Ashwin? Let us know your views in this regard.
