"Mankad has been vilified ever since, but for what?" NSW CEO Lee Gormon supports bowlers in non-striker run-outs
New South Wales (NSW) CEO Lee Germon has lent support to Melbourne Stars skipper Adam Zampa following the controversy over the non-strikers' run-out in the ongoing Big Bash League 2022-23.
On January 3, Zampa effected a run-out at the bowler's end as Tom Rogers was way ahead of his crease during the match between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades.
The attempted dismissal occurred on the penultimate ball of the Renegades' innings. Just before Zampa was about to release the ball, he saw Rogers was out of the crease and held his action to whip the bails off.
However, the possibility of a run-out was ruled out as the third-umpire explained that Zampa had already completed his action before inflicting the run-out, and hence, Rogers survived to watch the last two balls of the innings.
Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey, during the innings break, revealed that he was clear with Zampa about withdrawing the appeal even if the decision stood out. The former Stars skipper called the non-strikers' run-out "not the right way to play cricket."
"If it had've been given out we would've withdrawn our appeal."
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Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon, a former New Zealand Test captain, backed the law which allows bowlers to run out batters short of their crease, taking an undue advantage.
Germon stated:
"For a bowler to run out a batter who is trying to gain an unfair advantage by leaving the crease before the ball has been delivered is both fair and legal. There are no two ways about it, and we want our players, match officials and volunteers to know that they have our full support in upholding the laws of cricket, in this and every other instance.
He further added in his statement:
"The pressure placed on match officials, most of whom are wonderful volunteers, to deal with something that evokes so much emotion is unnecessary. The law is clear and we want the officials to feel supported in knowing that and not be pressured by an outdated school of thought.”
Lee Germon says even Sir Don Bradman had no problems with the dismissal style
Late Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad was the first person to dismiss Australia's Bill Brown by running him out at the bowler's end twice in 1947. Since then, the mode of this dismissal has often been referred to as "Mankading," especially in England and Australia, with many players unhappy with its conduct.
Germon believes that the term "Mankad" is used to defame the person who started the type of dismissal even though it is within the laws of the game.
Germon said:
“It has been 75-years since Vinoo Mankad twice ran out Australian Bill Brown, drawing the ire of some in the game. Mankad has been vilified ever since, but for what? He carried out a legitimate act to dismiss a batter who was trying to gain an unfair advantage. Even the great Sir Donald Bradman has said there was nothing wrong with what Vinoo Mankad did."
He added:
“We now know this also conjures up a negative experience for many people and cricketers of Indian heritage. It is unfair and needs to stop.”
Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Deepti Sharma have faced the wrath of foreign media for attempting a run-out at the non-striker's end against England players.