While captain Pat Cummins and fast bowler Mitchell Starc have made it clear that there will be no hesitation in whipping off the bails at the bowler’s end in the future, the question of just how Australian fans will react the first time bowler performs a ‘Mankad’ is a compelling one.
South Africa’s Theunis de Bruyn wandered rather cheekily down the pitch on numerous occasions on day three at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test, just as Starc was entering his delivery stride.
After becoming aware of de Bruyn’s penchant to crib a metre or two of real estate, Starc dressed down the Proteas number three, essentially placing him on notice that the bails would be removed on the next occasion he was caught.
Such an act would be a stunning move and one with origins in India’s 1947/48 tour of Australia, when Vinoo Mankad dismissed Australia’s Bill Brown in the second Test, as the batter left his ground and allowed the left-arm slow bowler time to halt his run-up and break the wicket.
Since that moment, one of cricket’s most controversial, there have been just three further Test applications of what became known as ‘Mankading’, with the most recent being in 1978/79, when Pakistan’s Sikander Bakht was dismissed by Australian quick Alan Hurst in Perth.
Very much a questionable tactic in the eyes of fans, few have had the fortitude to use it, with only around 50 or so Mankads documented across first-class, limited-over and T20 cricket since Brown became the first victim.
However, recently, with quick singles and the maximising of every running opportunity becoming increasingly important in the 20 over-format, the practice appears to be entering the minds of modern-day bowlers more frequently; and it might be for the best.
As the fast bowlers are no-balled, denied wickets and concede runs based on the barest of indiscretions with their front foot, it seems unthinkable to them that the player with the willow in his hand should be entitled to venture from his ground and be significantly down the pitch before the ball has even been struck by the batter on strike.
England star Jos Buttler (2019) and Afghanistan’s Noor Ali Zadran (2020) have been caught out and dismissed at the bowler’s end in recent T20 tournaments; Englishwoman Charlotte Dean recently fell victim to Deepti Sharma at Lords in September in a women’s one-day international; and there have been a number performed in recent under-19 World Cups.
It does appear that the Mankad has crept back into vogue, with the performance of one in an Ashes series at a key moment or during a T20 or ODI final certain to cause much debate and discussion.
Of course, just as Starc chose to do on Thursday, many a player has warned the infringing batter and refused to actually commit to the act, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Courtney Walsh two significant examples.
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What happens when a hot-headed bowler, frustrated by the defiance being shown at the crease, does eventually lose his cool and throw what was once convention out the window is anyone’s guess.
How would Australian fans react to the act in Sydney during the third Test, as South Africa pile on the runs and Pat Cummins removes the bails, leaving, say, Dean Elgar stranded and out in the 90s?
Would boos rain around the SCG, or would fans simply chuckle and heckle the fraudulent batsman as he made his way back to the pavilion?
What of an Ashes Mankad in the UK during the Australian winter, with the result of a crucial Test potentially affected by an action that many still see as unsporting and not deserving the departure of the batter?
Mitchell Starc of Australia speaks to Theunis de Bruyn of South Africa about staying in his crease. (Photo by Darrian Traynor – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Of course, many will cite the tactic as fair game and feel zero sympathy for players unable to complete the simplest of tasks – remaining in their ground until the ball has been delivered.
The MCC no longer deems the action unfair play, despite the fact that Stuart Broad and fellow English players have been categorical in their refusal to use it.
It is likely that some international cricketers will embrace the Mankad and its new acceptability, whilst others will defer to honour and dignity in their playing of the game.
Crucially, should a difference of approach be apparent in upcoming series, a potential flashpoint will exist. It would take some courage for an Australian Test cricketer to employ the Mankad tactic, and he or she may receive as much criticism as support.
It will be interesting to see who chooses to be the first.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Ha ha, that's actually true JGK. It's even easier than scratching an accurate mark in front of stumps with the side of your boot.
sheek
Roar Guru
Grand Panjandrum, Who's the bigger flog & dumber hypocrite hiding behind such a pretentious pseudonym. Rhetorical question given as a statement.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
Remove the law from the game and bring a five run penalty every time the non striker leaves his ground. They’ll soon stop it.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
I’ve never understood the controversy surrounding this. While the ball is live, the batsman must stay in his crease if not attempting a run. If the batsman wants to gain an advantage by wandering out of his crease while the bowler still has the ball in his hand, then he does so at his own risk. It’s that simpIe. It is no different to a runner trying to steal a base in baseball. They stand off to the side of the base they last reached, knowing they are potentially at the mercy of a pitcher, who’s throw to the baseman is too quick for them to get back. I’ve no problem with a batsman dancing with the devil, but they must accept the risks and bowlers are not to be shamed because they take exception to being taken advantage of.
Clear as mud
Guest
it's due to DRS. non strikers are too busy trying to ascertain trajectory and landing point, to inform potential reviews against LBs, to watch the bowler at the point of release that's the case with the Bear. not even looking at Starc. another good reason to get rid of DRS...
sheek
Roar Guru
Grand Panjandrum, Get. Over. Yourself.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
With your arm and the length of your bat plus timing your walk run you can still have a 2 metres advantage while still having the bat grounded legally. Lots of "batty" pearl clutching about a legal form of dismissal in response to gaming the bowler and fielders. Its been talked and shown a lot internationally so its shouldnt be a surprise
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
Says the grand flog who cannot stop griping that international rugby league teams can have heritage players. You are a tremendously dumb hypocrite bus driver
Tight-Head
Roar Rookie
If you get caught out of your crease in a match where a mankad (let alone 3) has already been used you deserve to be out for sheer stupidity.
KenW
Roar Rookie
A legitimate objection but I doubt it would ever become a long-term issue. Fast bowlers particularly would expend a great deal of energy speculatively going for a mankad 4 or 5 times an over. Non-strikers would be vigilantly in their crease knowing that this was the game being played. A big cost for the bowler for zero likely reward. Perhaps there will be a specific instance of a bowler repetitively trying for it as the cricket world adjusts to not decrying this play, but it's unlikely to be a plague. Perhaps some limits could be introduced if required though.
Akitas
Roar Rookie
Kramer, you would be better served to read your own post and correct the errors there, rather than worry about the (correct) use of the word 'we' by Ken.
Akitas
Roar Rookie
The bowler is penalised if he oversteps by just a little, yet some people think it is ok for a batsman to take a metre or two ? Ridiculous, they should all be run out.
AndyS
Guest
Which is not to say they perhaps aren't supposed to be checking every delivery, but I'd expect to see a lot more retrospective no-balls if they were. I've not noticed a lot of after the event no-ball calls, but genuine question; have they been happening? Certainly it was a long time after Joseph got Labuschagne in Perth before the no-ball got called...didn't look at all like checking every ball, more like just checking wickets and appeals.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wouldn't say back - just couldn't resist commenting on this one. Get fired up about the ol' mankad. I still read a fair bit around here but fulltime role elsewhere prevents me from contributing at all. I'm sure I'll be around sporadically commenting when you least expect it during the Ashes & Indian tour haha
AndyS
Guest
Except I'm not sure they do. If they did, they wouldn't need to check it on DRS, they'd already know. My recollection is that there was a bit of a blow-up about it last year too, with one of the English bowlers found to be consistently overstepping without being called. Doesn't gel with them checking every single delivery.
Adam
Guest
Yeah - this is the solution. They already check front foot no balls anyway so just check if the non striker has their bat behind the line at the same time.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Hang on, what the... Scott Pryde is back? Oh joy...UK Ashes reunion! Where the F have you been anyway? :silly:
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Saffers need to hate 'em
DTM
Roar Rookie
Lots of things about cricket don't make sense but that's part of the attraction. The problem with your solution is that it is possible to implement at international level with television umpires but at lower levels it is unworkable.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
When run out, she left the crease at the point the ball might reasonably have been delivered. When the bowler holds the ball instead, many batters would have left the crease without trying to cheat