"Return the World Cup" - Twitterati slams Stuart Broad for calling MCC law change 'unfair'
Fans, journalists and members of the cricket fraternity on Twitter weren't too impressed with England pacer Stuart Broad's opinion on the latest changes in the run-out laws.
Running out a non-striker before delivering the ball, also known as 'Mankading', used to be considered 'unfair play' by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)'s laws. On Wednesday, the MCC brought it under the ambit of its law 38 which governs normal run-outs. The rules will apply from October 1.
Reacting to the change, Broad took to his Twitter account to say that he feels it's 'unfair' because dismissing a batter requires skills while such run-outs don't. The tweet immediately invited a deluge of comments and retweets. Although some fans agreed with the 35-year-old Englishman's opinion, most disagreed.
Some countered him on the 'skill' logic. Some brought up the infamous incident from the 2013 Ashes when Broad didn't walk after clearly nicking the ball to slips. A few slammed him for using the word 'Mankad' - derived from Vinoo Mankad, one of India's greatest all-rounders. Others brought up England's 2019 World Cup win.
The following are some of the best of the reactions to Broad's tweet:
It is not about skill, but getting punished for a crime. Of course, on a cricket field, it is about disregarding the laws of the game.. A traffic cop doesn't display skill when he books someone for jumping a traffic signal!! @StuartBroad8
Does that mean every mode of dismissal against English test side unfair ? You don’t really need much skills to do that twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Stumping on a wide is literally rewarding the bowler being bad at his skill. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Stuart Broad wants to say that running early even before the bowler bowls is a skill and he loves it. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
What’s the skill from a bowler in a feather down the leg side .
Or in a 4 or 6 by a tail ender from a thick top edge 3rd man @StuartBroad8 twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Get off your high horse Stuart. It was never unfair. What’s unfair are your cheating buddies who try to steal an illegal run. It was always a run-out and now it’s called one. twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Ayy @englandcricket take him into squad so he doesn’t have time to post nonsense twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
A lot of dismissals are not a function of skill of the bowler, like dismissal of a long hop, or a full toss, or a run out on the non striker's end through a deflection.
'Mankading' as it used to be called, at least involved presence of mind, which is a skill. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…Agree 💯 twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Hey @StuartBroad8 scoring runs is all about skill and getting runs in over throw when ball is deflected off the bat requires “0” skill.
Please return the world cup and give it to New Zealand.
#ICC | #Mankad | #Mankading | #CricketTwitter twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Is Maeve Douma on Twitter? She can put some sense into Broad.
The dismissal was always fair and legitimate.
The only one cheating is the non-striker.
Oh, and it was always there.
Thomas Barker did it five times between 1835 and 1843, by the way.
Here is Nicholas Felix. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s… https://t.co/7zoQk0CR5b
Why so much fuss? He clearly said IMO, We all are supposed to have different opinions. twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Breaking news: Next time Broad bowls a rank medium pace full toss down the leg side, and the batsman somehow loses balance, miscues the shot and hits straight to fine leg; he would call the batsman back coz there was no skills involved. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
It is not about skill, but getting punished for a crime. Of course, on a cricket field, it is about disregarding the laws of the game.. A traffic cop doesn't display skill when he books someone for jumping a traffic signal!! @StuartBroad8
1 Stop calling it Mankading.
2 Batter can't take undue advantage. They must be stopped.
3 If it's about skills, will @StuartBroad8 say no to a wicket if he gets it on a bad ball? A full toss or a hit wicket or obstructing the field? twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
I agree with Broad here. Yes batsmen need to be stopped from taking extra advantage but can't that be done by giving penalty of a few runs? Just like the no ball scenario. Just imagine the ball hasn't even been delivered and you're run out and that's it for the batsman. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
The cricket world (you can see the Lord's press box) if non-striker run outs were five penalty runs twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s… https://t.co/oC4bWYXIf1
You talking about fairness? Must be joking. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s… https://t.co/JdXdxun9M3
Game awareness is a skill. Being caught napping is a lack of skill. twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
Any bowler conceding 6 sixes in an over should be called 'Broad' twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Scoring runs in Cricket is also about skill. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s… https://t.co/U54MjZhql1
Want Sunny G treatment for this man twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Taking undue advantage by strolling out of the crease before a ball is delivered isn't skill either. It is plain cheating. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Also it is not Mankad. It is totally unfair to call it by his name. It is merely run-out at non-strikers end. Don't know how you will take if a batter gets called Broad each time he refuses to walk after edging to first slip. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Yeah like you guys didn't win the 2019 worldcup through sheer stupidity of rules twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
Also it is not Mankad. It is totally unfair to call it by his name. It is merely run-out at non-strikers end. Don't know how you will take if a batter gets called Broad each time he refuses to walk after edging to first slip. twitter.com/StuartBroad8/s…
I think it is unfair & wouldn’t consider it, as IMO, hitting a ball is about skill & the Overthrow requires zero skill. twitter.com/stuartbroad8/s…
"It is legitimate, it is a run-out" - MCC Laws Manager
Explaining the thinking behind the change, Fraser Stewart, MCC Laws Manager, admitted to the Times that bowlers are always "painted as the villain" for running out the non-striker.
He announced that the dismissal is legitimate and warrants being in the run-out section of the law book, saying:
"The bowler is always painted as the villain but it is a legitimate way to dismiss someone and it is the non-striker who is stealing the ground. It is legitimate, it is a run-out and therefore it should live in the run-out section of the laws."
There have been other changes to the laws as well, including the banning of saliva to shine the ball and the judgment of wides. The 2022 T20 World Cup will be the first major ICC tournament under the new rules.