The latest international cricket controversy deals with Ravindra Ashwin running out Jos Buttler for backing up too far from the bowler’s end in an IPL match.
The umpire said he was out of his crease. He admitted he was out. Ashwin said he must be out, so, he left.
So what is the big deal? The answer is supernatural; the spirit of the game has been breached and it is only proper that a warning should have been given. But no way.
That was the old spirit, now no warning is necessary. The arbiter of all arbiters, the MCC, in a densely worded response said it was out and the umpire was right.
This did not stop numerous cricket luminaries like Shane Warne and Patrick Cummins putting their opinions out. Some went for the spirit. Some went for the rule.
For heaven’s sake, is this what makes cricket fascinating. Not.
The old game has these strange spirits. Some of which are followed, some not. Always walk when you think you are out. Always look at the umpire when you appeal. Always raise your bat to your dressing room when you score a century.
Don’t sledge, whatever that is? You can’t say “your mother wears army boots” anymore. This is ageist parent harassment. The latest is a goodie. The bowler shows the ball to the crowd when five wickets are taken.
What I am getting at is that the old spirits often end up as new rules. Ball tampering was seen in Australia as a capital crime. Steve, David and Cameron were lucky not to be incarcerated or at least exiled to New Zealand.
This heinous activity hardly affected the South African captain twice, but here in the Commonwealth, it got more publicity than knocking down the Sydney Football Stadium and taking their non-existent sprinklers. Michael lost an election on that.
I know the old game’s traditions are its lifeblood, but I think that in the days of professional sport we should have meaningful, easy-to-explain rules and regulations. This is not to excuse Fox from inventing the strange box that seemed to magically show what players were better against what bowlers defined by three different colours.
My head ached trying to wrap my mind around that concept. Please, no more.
We all love the weird, wacky world of cricket.
JamesH
Roar Guru
The MCC's position seems to be that they can understand why it was given out, but under their own interpretation of the law it wasn't out. They've also said Ashwin didn't act within the spirit of the game because he paused to ensure Buttler had left his crease. Essentially, it wasn't a case where Buttler was seeking an unfair advantage by leaving his crease early (which is what the rule is there to address); he just assumed Ashwin would let go of the ball and left the crease at what would have been roughly the right time. By the way, it's 'Ravichandran' or 'Ravi', not 'Ravindra' (which is Jadeja's given name).
keith hurst
Roar Pro
Guess what! The MCC have now decided that Ashwin took too long to make his mind up to run out Butler and that the out decision was incorrect and "against the spirit of the game". I am sorry but this has left the whole issue as clear as mud. Keith Hurst
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Ok, the MCC have now clarified their position to say that it was not out due to the pause between Ashwin stopping at the crease and removing the bails. But who knows, they could change their mind in the next half hour the way they're going.
U
Roar Rookie
Butler should’ve been paying more attention. It’s out for all money. That spirit of the game nonsense is a bunch of baloney. It seems it’s mostly players who are long retired who are complaining
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
"The MCC, in a densely worded response, said it was out and the umpire was right". No, they didn't. They said: "Yesterday's decision could have been ruled out or not out..." https://www.lords.org/lords/news-stories/mcc-statement-on-mankad-incident-in-ipl-match-betw They did state clearly, well clearly for them, that it wasn't outside the spirit of the game.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
No, it matters. There is a distinct difference between a batsman taking off early and failing to heed a warning and a guy who takes his eyes off the bowler as he hits delivery stride, remains in the crease up to that point and then walks slowly out after he might reasonably have expected the ball to be delivered. One is within the rules, the other indicates somebody fails to understand some sports simply have esoteric truisms about what is right. Ashwin's lost me. His post-match defence makes it even worse. I'd probably have accepted a "caught in the headlights, lots of pressure" defence but he is committed to the strategy so he's gone.