Whether he gives a warning before going for a ‘Mankad’ or not, Ravichandran Ashwin is certain to be in the news with whatever he does at the bowling crease when a batsman backs up too far. Ashwin had divided the cricketing world when he ran Jos Buttler out for backing up too far without a warning in last year’s IPL, and this year, he grabbed the headlines after giving a warning to Aaron Finch for the same offence.
Ashwin’s warning to Aaron Finch instead of ‘Mankading’ him when the opportunity was there took social media by storm in the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals encounter, so much so that the off-spinner had to tweet that it was first and final warning.
“Let’s make it clear!! First and final warning for 2020. I am making it official and don’t blame me later on.
@RickyPonting
#runout #nonstriker
@AaronFinch5
and I are good buddies btw,” Ashwin had tweeted.
The experienced off-spinner has now gone to state that he can’t be the police forever. “I will say this. Can’t stop thefts till thieves repent. I cannot be police forever. I tagged Ponting in the tweet. He said he would have asked me to run him out. He said ‘a wrong is a wrong’. He’s talking to the ICC committee about a penalty. He is really trying hard to keep his promise,” Ashwin said in his YouTube show Hello Dubaiaah.
Ashwin also revealed that Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ponting is in talks with the ICC’s cricket committee for having a penalty if a batsman backs up too far at the non-striker’s end.
“When we played (against RCB), one side of the ground was big, I knew someone would back up because scoring boundaries was not that easy. They had guys who could convert twos. So I knew it would happen. I went into my jump while delivering the ball and a gold helmet floated past. I stopped and thought, he was still outside the crease, just staring,” said Ashwin.
“He has been a good friend since we played together for KXIP. So I let it slide as a final warning. Punishment should be severe, dock 10 runs for backing up. Nobody will do that. Getting batsmen like this is not a skill. But no options for the bowler either.”
Source: IPLT20.com