‘Teams Should Take Every Single Advantage…’: Ashwin’s Brilliant Explainer on Shadab’s Controversial Run-out

Batters getting run-out at the non-striker’s end is often termed against the spirit of the game of cricket. Though it has been defined as a fair mode of dismissal by the guardians of the cricket laws –  the Marylebone Cricket Club, bowlers have mostly faced backlash on practicing it. For instance, ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was condemned for dismissing Jos Buttler during IPL 2019. Last year, Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma also faced criticism for running out England’s Charlie Dean in a fifty-over game at Lord’s.

Most recently, the second ODI between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Hambantota witnessed a similar situation with pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi running out Shadab Khan at the bowler’s end. Babar Azam & Co needed 11 runs in the final over when the latter was dismissed. It didn’t impact Pakistan’s momentum as they won by 1 wicket but the Afghan pacer’s act reignited the debate.

On Sunday, Ashwin took to microblogging site X (former Twitter) and stated that batters need to be careful about their position and should watch the bowler before taking off for a run.

“This is a fair assessment of the situation. Imagine someone running out kohli, Rohit , Smith , Root or any crucial batter at the non strikers in the World Cup semi final or a crunch game which will decide qualification,” Ashwin wrote in his post.

“I am sure hell will break loose and there will be a character assassination campaign by some experts who still don’t agree with it and of course fans that are on the receiving end. There is only one solution, whoever be the batter and whatever be the magnitude of the situation, the batter needs to watch the bowler load the ball up and rotate his shoulder before taking off and if he doesn’t do that and gets out, we should applaud the bowler and tell the batsmen that he can do better.

“He dint complete his action at all and he should look for it in the 5th 6th over arguments are lame”cos once the bowler loads up and gets ready to deliver, he can’t run the batter out cos it’s incorrect according to the law.

“At the moment not all teams are doing it but come the World Cup, I really hope everyone is ready for it cos taking a moral high stand and saying we won’t do it, should open a strategic window for the other teams and genuinely teams should take every single advantage coming their way cos winning a World Cup is a lifetime achievement. Finally, is winning everything? Its everything for some and not for many others, we need to accept both, cos we are all different.

“Stay inside the crease and live in peace”, he further added.