IPL 2019: Jos Buttler breaks silence about the 'Mankad' controversy

Jos Buttler and R Ashwin. Image Source: Twitter

Jos Buttler has finally spoken about his controversial dismissal in the game against Kinds XI Punjab by Ravichandran Ashwin in the first match. The Mankading style of wicket saw Ashwin face criticism on media.

Buttler has started to leave the crease before Ashwin released the ball, as Ashwin stopped his action halfway and disturbed the bails. After Ashwin appealed for run-out, Buttler was ruled out. Accroding to the rule book of MCC, the dismissal was a legal one and within the 'Spirit of Cricket.'

“At the time, I was really disappointed with it. I didn’t like the style of it,” Buttler said. “What was more disappointing is that suddenly over the next two games I found myself being really conscious of it and it is quite distracting. That is why it was nice to get some runs in the win (earlier this week, when he scored 59) and get back to thinking about batting and not worrying about how I back up at the non-striker’s end,” Buttler said in an interview. 

Buttler was out in a similar fashion in 2014 against Sri Lanka in an ODI. This was first time in the history of IPL that a player was Mankaded. However, the dismissal is“At the time, I was really disappointed with it. I didn’t like the style of it,” Buttler said. “What was more disappointing is that suddenly over the next two games I found myself being really conscious of it and it is quite distracting. That is why it was nice to get some runs in the win (earlier this week, when he scored 59) and get back to thinking about batting and not worrying about how I back up at the non-striker’s end.” The dismissal is legal according to Law 41.6 of cricket’s rulebook, ambiguity arose about manner in which he dismissed Buttler.

The laws state: “If the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be run out.”

Buttler also called for the ‘Mankad’ law to be overhauled. “Of course a Mankading has to be in the Laws of the game because a batsman can’t just run halfway down the pitch trying to get a head start,” he said. “But I do think, the way the law is written, there is a bit of a grey area in that saying ‘when a bowler is expected to release the ball’. That is a bit of a wishy-washy statement."

“I think if you look at the footage, probably the wrong decision was made because at the time he was expected to release the ball I was in my crease. I didn’t like what happened and I didn’t agree with it, but what can you do? I must be the only person to get out twice in that way as well. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”