The controversy related to Deepti Sharma running out Charlie Dean doesn’t seem to end soon as many from cricket fraternity are still talking about it especially those who feel that Deepti Sharma went against the spirit of the game when she mankaded Charlie Dean.
Though mankading has now been recognized as a run-out and it has always been within the rules of the game, still there are many who feel that it is not the correct way to dismiss a batter. It happened in the final and the third ODI of the 3-match series which was played between India and England women cricket teams. The English batter Charlie Dean was taking undue advantage continuously by leaving the crease at the non-striker end even before the ball was thrown by the bowler and the Indian bolwer Deepti Sharma chose to remove the bails without bowling the delivery.
Many former and current English cricketers slammed Deepti Sharma and few of them even called her a cheater but the Indian women cricketer was not at all affected with it because she knew that she had done nothing wrong and she also had complete support of her skipper and team management. The English media was also continuously targeting Deepti Sharma and this did not go well with the Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle as he took to the micro-blogging site Twitter and slammed the English media.
He tweeted, “I find it very disturbing that a very large section of the media in England is asking questions of a girl who played by the laws of the game & none at all of another who was gaining an illegal advantage and was a habitual offender.”
In a series of tweets, Harsha Bhogle writes that it is a cultural thing as English feel that whatever they think is correct is correct and whatever is wrong in their opinion is wrong. He adds that because of colonial domination, very few other nations have questioned the English because of which the English people have such mindset. Harsha Bhogle further asks others to rise above the colonial slumber and play the game by the rules rather than worrying about the subjective interpretation of spirit of the game. He asks the English cricketers to follow the rules properly and stay in the crease till the bowler throws the ball because if they follow the rules, the game will go smoothly. Furthermore, he adds that criticism of Deepti Sharma should stop now.
I find it very disturbing that a very large section of the media in England is asking questions of a girl who played by the laws of the game & none at all of another who was gaining an illegal advantage and was a habitual offender. That includes reasonable people & I think (1/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
it is a cultural thing. The English thought it was wrong to do so & because they ruled over a large part of the cricket world, they told everyone it was wrong. The colonial domination was so powerful that few questioned it. As a result,the mindset still is that what England (2/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
considers wrong should be considered wrong by the rest of the cricket world, much like the "line" the Aussies say you must not cross having decided what the line should be which is fine in their culture but may not be for others. The rest of the world is no longer obligated (3/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
to think the way England does and so we see what is so plainly wrong. So too the notion that turning tracks are bad but seaming tracks are fine. The reason I say it is cultural is that it is what they are brought up to think. They don't think it is wrong. The problem arises (4/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
and we are guilty of it too, when people sit in judgement of each other's approach. England wants the rest of the world not to like running out batters at the non-striker's end and have been vitriolic and abusive towards Deepti and others who have done it. We come hard too (5/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
asking others to wake up from centuries old colonial slumber. The easiest thing is to play by the laws of the game & stop worrying about subjective interpretation of the spirit of the game,stop forcing opinions on others.The law says the non-striker must be behind the crease(6/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
till the bowler's arm is at its highest point. If you obey that, the game will move along smoothly. If you point fingers at others, like many in England have at Deepti, you remain open to questions asked of you. It is best if those in power, or who were in power, (7/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
stop believing that the world must move at their bidding. As in society, where judges implement the law of the land, so too in cricket. But I remain disturbed by the vitriol directed towards Deepti. She played by the laws of the game and criticism of what she did must stop
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
The English cricketer Ben Stokes was not happy with Harsha Bhogle calling it a cultural thing.
He responded with, “Harsha.. 2019 WC final was over 2 years ago, I still till this day revive countless messages calling me all sorts from Indian fans, does this disturb you?”
Harsha .. 2019 WC final was over 2 years ago, I still till this day revive countless messages calling me all sorts from Indian fans, does this disturb you? https://t.co/m3wDGM7eU3
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) October 1, 2022
He further tweeted, “Is this a culture thing?? ….Absolutely not, I receive messages regarding the overthrows from people all over world, as people all over the world have made comments on the Mankad dismissal, not just people who are English”.
Is this a culture thing?? ….absolutely not,I receive messages regarding the overthrows from people all over world,as people all over the world have made comment’s on the Mankad dismissal, not just people who are English https://t.co/m3wDGMpo8b
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) October 1, 2022
What is your opinion regarding the statement made by Ben Stokes? Let us know.