Mitchell Starc offers unique solution to end ‘Mankad’ run out controversies – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Australia’s Mitchell Starc has come up with a unique perspective and solution to combat the controversy surrounding run outs at the non-striker’s end. Popularly known as ‘Mankad’ run outs after the former India player Vinoo Mankad, the act involves a bowler dismissing the non-striker before delivering the ball.

Starc created headlines by warning England skipper Jos Buttler for backing up too far in a T20 game in Canberra. Stump mic caught Starc as saying, “I’m not Deepti, but I won’t do it. That doesn’t mean you can leave early.” In response, Buttler said, “I don’t think I did.”

Deepti here refers to India women’s cricketer Deepti Sharma who was in the headlines for running out England’s Charlie Dean during an ODI last month. The controversial, yet perfectly legal, dismissal once again saw people offer different opinions.

Explained: Why Deepti’s legal run-out has attracted controversy

To find the optimum solution, Starc suggests using the cameras monitoring no-balls to also check if a batter is leaving the crease before the bowler’s front foot lands. If it does, umpires can then call a short run.

“While it is hard to do at all levels, why not take it out of the hands of interpretation and make it black and white?” Starc told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. “There are cameras for front foot no-balls, a camera there all the time [in international cricket] and someone watching the line.

“Every time the batter leaves the crease before the front foot lands, dock them a run. There’s no grey area then. And in T20 cricket where runs are so handy at the back end and games can be decided by, one, two, three runs all the time, if all of a sudden you get docked 20 runs because a batter’s leaving early, you’re going to stop doing it aren’t you?

“Then there’s no stigma. It’s taken away from the decision to have to run someone out or think about it. If it’s blatant, it is a different story, but I feel like that is at least completely black and white.”

Starc recalled he had to warn seven different New Zealand batters during a recent ODI series in Queensland with some backing up by two meters before he bowled.

The Aussie seamer believes the issue is going to come up at the T20 World Cup but is uncertain is players will go ahead with it. “I’m sure it’s probably going to pop its head up throughout the World Cup, no doubt. But whether anyone follows through and does it, I saw the captains say it wasn’t going to happen.”

“It’s harder to do down the levels of cricket, but particularly in international cricket there are always going to be cameras square on for the front foot and for the run-outs. So, why not? And if it either makes the batters think about it, or stops it occurring, isn’t that a good thing?”

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