R Ashwin has slammed ‘spirit of cricket revolutionaries’, stating that bowlers are villainised every time there is a “mankading” dismissal, but no questions are asked of non-strikers backing up.

The India and Delhi Capitals off-spinner has been at the centre of the “mankading” discussion ever since running out Jos Buttler in a similar fashion in the 2019 Indian Premier League.

The debate found its way back into the cricketing circles after Ricky Ponting, Ashwin’s coach at his new IPL side Delhi Capitals, warned him against using the mode of dismissal in the upcoming edition of the T20 league. The off-spinner, however, maintained his stance on the issue.

“If such an incident happens,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “the bowler is made out to be the villain. Thousands will come out, talking about protesting in the name of ‘spirit of cricket’. All this is fine, but we should know what the spirit of cricket is. Many have said that I don’t know what it is.

“Where do they sell that book? At Higginbotham’s? Online? I searched everywhere. The shops don’t have that book. It hasn’t even been published. So what’s important? Get a book out on this. Then those spirit of cricket revolutionaries should be … leave it, there’s no point talking about them.”

Ashwin also revealed his discussion with Ponting on the issue, who while agreed that backing up is wrong, still refused to agree with the Mankad.

“I think there should be some sort of run penalty,” Ponting said while in conversation with Ashwin. “If you are to get at the top of your bowling action and stop, and it shows that the batsman is cheating, he’s out of his crease, I think put a run penalty on him and do it right from the start. Because that will stop him straightaway. Taking 10 runs off the team total, because you’ve taken a yard out of your crease, those sort of things need to be looked at.”

Related tags:

Delhi Capitals Ravichandran AshwinIndian Premier LeagueGlobal T20 LeaguesRicky Ponting