Aussie legend's son in Mankad controversy
The son of an Australian cricket legend has found himself at the centre of a very controversial Mankad moment.
Merv Hughes' son Tim was playing for Footscray third grade in Victorian Premier cricket on Sunday when the controversy occurred.
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Hughes was coming in to bowl late in his side's clash with Prahran when he whipped off the bails at the non-striker's end to dismiss Nick Stone for the final wicket.
The dismissal resulted in a five-run victory for Footscray.
While the Mankad remains a legitimate mode of dismissal, it has always been met with derision and disdain.
Many believe it is against the spirit of cricket and bowlers should at least warn a batsman before attempting to Mankad them.
The MCC recently released a tweak in the Mankad rule (adopted by Cricket Australia), allowing bowlers at all levels to run-out the non-striker up to the time at which they “would be expected to deliver the ball”.
Footscray First XI captain Dylan Kight admitted the wicket would spark debate.
“It’s controversial, obviously, but it’s one of those things with all the new MCC laws they’ve brought in, which we’ve had a massive run-down on,” Kight told News Corp.
“The worst thing about the whole situation is the umpire gave it out, but then the umpire had to turn and ask (Footscray’s) captain (Stuart Wilson) whether he wanted to stick with the appeal or withdrawal the appeal.
“As far as the laws go, it’s just a grey area, so they’ve put the heat on the captain. In the split-second he decided to stick with the appeal.”
Indian great Sunil Gavaskar recently said he wanted the term 'Mankad' dropped from cricketing parlance, saying linking the famously controversial dismissal to Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad smears the legend's name.
The term was coined 70 years ago when Mankad twice ran out Bill Brown at the bowler's end during India's tour of Australia in 1947.
Mankad was widely criticised for unsporting play, despite warning Brown several times that he was straying from his crease.
Australian skipper Don Bradman and Brown himself also defended the Indian bowler but the term, loaded with negative connotations of bad sportsmanship, stuck for generations.
"I have grave objections to that because it's putting one of India's cricketing legends in a bad light," Gavaskar said on the Sony Max TV channel during an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match.
"He has been one of India's all-time great cricketers. Our legend's name should not be spoiled. If you want to call it anything, just say the batsman was 'Browned', not 'Mankaded'."
with AFP
