Mankading: Right or wrong? Eoin Morgan and Rob Key against dismissal
Former Australia seamer Mitchell Johnson: "The spirit of the game against the bowler keeps being used. How about the spirit of the game be put on the batsman, stay in your crease!"
Monday 3 February 2020 19:12, UK
The Mankad debate is raging again after an incident in the U19 Cricket World Cup.
Afghanistan captain Farhan Zakhil said after the game - which Pakistan won to secure a semi-final against defending champions India - that the Mankading was not "in the spirit of the game" and that his team probably would not have done it had they been winning.
The dismissal - named after India bowler Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia's Bill Brown in 1947 - has twice befallen Jos Buttler in recent years, in an ODI in Sri Lanka in 2014 and in the IPL in 2019.
Both England captain Eoin Morgan and Sky Sports Cricket's Rob Key say they would veto the dismissal if one of their bowlers Mankaded - but former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson sees nothing wrong with the move.
"I would definitely withdraw the appeal. I don't think [there is a place for it in the game]," said Morgan, ahead of England's opening ODI in South Africa.
"It is open for debate but I was brought up with my Dad and he taught me the majority of what I know about cricket and it wasn't something we did in the garden so, for me, it's not within the spirit of the game."
Key added: "I can't bear Mankads. I played my whole career and never once did I have this problem. If someone did it in a team I captained I would straightaway say 'no, we don't play our cricket like that'.
"No one ever Mankads the worst batsman either. They only do it to the bloke who is smashing you everywhere - you never see it done to a No 11 who generally walks out of his crease.
"I'd like to think I would walk on and say 'no' but I understand people who say you should stay in your ground.
"The way we're taught is a problem a little bit - backing up. I would have been Mankaded every time as I never thought about it."
Writing on Instagram, Johnson said: "My thoughts on this haven't changed. The spirit of the game against the bowler keeps being used. Again, how about the spirit of the game be put on the batsman. Stay in your crease!
"Don't care if it's a millimeter in it, a bowler can't be a millimeter over the line when he bowls, so why should the batsman get an advantage?
"I'm glad the Mankad rule is back in place. Must be a reason why it has been reintroduced? Maybe it was because of all the batsman sneaking the advantage for that extra run or so?
"Less hate towards the bowler as he hasn't cheated. He has followed the rules of the game."
