"There is a bias" - Ravichandran Ashwin on no outrage over USA being handed a 5-run penalty in 2024 T20 World Cup match vs India
Ravichandran Ashwin recently gave his take on the United States of America (USA) receiving a five-run penalty during their 2024 T20 World Cup match against India. They were docked five runs after failing to start a new over within 60 seconds for the third time in the game.
Ashwin pointed out how there was no outrage over the team being handed the penalty, as the rule favored the batting team. He opined that reactions are very different when the bowlers benefit from a rule, pointing out the hue-and-cry on Angelo Mathews' timed-out dismissal against Bangladesh during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:
"Now, they have given a five-run penalty. Some people said that they didn't understand anything. But, there is no outrage for this. In the same way, if the batsman comes to the crease late, you can appeal and get a wicket. They gave an out to Mathews in the 50-over World Cup. In the same way, if one side exploits the same rule it is not a big crime. Because it is an exploit in the bowling field. If it is exploited in the batting field, it becomes a big issue. I can't understand. I think there is a bias between both sides. Both departments of the game."
Ashwin emphasized that a player has to follow everything which is there in the rule book and should be ready to face the consequences if they fail to do so. The 37-year-old elaborated:
"That is the only problem for me. Because a rule is a rule. If I know that this is a rule, if I make a mistake in that rule, I will get a penalty for those five runs. I deserve it. That's how I see it. They gave a rule, right? According to that rule, I have a duty to follow it. If I don't follow that rule, I am ready to face the consequences. In the same way, they gave a rule, and you should be ready to face the consequences."
The USA suffered a seven-wicket loss in the game against India, failing to defend the 110 runs. They were without their regular skipper Monank Patel, who missed the contest due to a niggle, and Aaron Jones stepped in as the stand-in captain.
"A lot of our players wouldn't have heard about it" - USA head coach Stuart Law on his team getting a five-run penalty
Speaking in the post-match press conference, USA head coach Stuart Law stated that several members of the team wouldn't have any idea about the rule of starting a new over within 60 seconds.
He suggested that most USA players became aware of the rule during their series against Bangladesh and Canada earlier this year. Law said:
"We had a few warnings in earlier games, and it's something we do talk about to get through faster between the overs. It's just one thing that we can improve on. I think that we're only a fledgling team. There's plenty to learn. There's not just the cricket aspect of the game of cricket, but there's also the other intricacies that need to be embedded. It's a rule that's only just come in. A lot of our players wouldn't have heard about it before we played in the Bangladesh series or the Canada series earlier this year. So, look, it's something that we need to address, we'll sit down and talk about, but we can improve it."
The USA will face Ireland at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida, on Friday, June 14.