Speaking on the latest Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Mark Butcher has warned of the “carnage” that could ensue if run outs at the non-striker’s ends make their way into the amateur game.
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With the discourse around the mode of dismissal continuing to do the rounds as more and more professional teams are adopting the practice, Butcher believes the real place the change will be felt is in the amateur game with matches being self-officiated.
“The other side to this is we’re looking at this very much through the prism of professional cricket,” Bucher said. “Or cricket that is subject at least to behavioural norms that comes with it being scrutinised by a worldwide audience.
“What is not being talked about is the effect that this is likely to have on village greens on Sunday afternoons up and down the country if this starts to become the norm.
“And you can argue until you’re blue in the face that it’s in the laws and you’re within your rights to do so. And I may have used this analogy before about something else, but it’s the idea that you’re absolutely within your rights to sleep with your best mate’s ex-wife minutes after they’ve split up but don’t complain if you get punched in the face for it.”
The mode of dismissal has become more and more common since Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean at Lord’s to win India an ODI against England. Since then there have been instances in the Big Bash with Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc giving a warning to Theunis de Bruyn in a Test match and in the Women’s U19 World Cup with Zaib-un-Nisa running out her Rwandan opponent.
“I can just see absolute carnage happening up and down this land and many others if people start doing it as a matter of course in club games,” Butcher continued. “Because there’s very little regulation in terms of people’s behaviour there and the game as it is played and has been played for years and and years with guys umpiring their own players and that type of thing.
“The game has always been played on the basis that there will be a bit of good sportsmanship. Otherwise, we will not be sharing jugs in the bar, type thing. And if this starts happening up and down the land there will be blood – I’m telling you that now.”
