'Worse than a Mankad': Cricket world erupts over 'extraordinary' dismissal
Australian cricket captain Tim Paine has pulled off an ‘extraordinary’ stumping in the Sheffield Shield that sparked a debate on whether it was deemed against the spirit of the game like a ‘Mankad’.
On Day 3 of the Sheffield Shield clash, NSW were building a handy lead with Moses Henriques notching 113 and Nick Larkin 161 as the Blues charged to 6-403 with a lead of 228 runs over the Tigers at tea.
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But as the match started to slip away from Tasmania, quick-thinking from wicket-keeper Paine helped dismiss Larkin.
The controversy occurred when Larkin played and missed a beautiful delivery, after a forward defensive stroke, which Paine collected well-behind behind the stumps.
Larkin held his pose, and appeared to be contemplate how he missed the delivery, when Paine underarmed the ball back and hit the stumps.
To Larkin’s surprise, he was out of his crease.
“That one has gone right through Larkin, another fantastic delivery,” the commentator said.
“Now Tim Paine has got a wicket from being a very smart cricketer. Now that’s how you get Larkin out, when he doesn’t expect it.”
The commentator said Larkin “didn’t know much about that one”, which appeared to irk many on social media.
A debate erupted over whether the ball was ‘dead’ or whether it was fair to dismiss Larkin when he had no idea he was out of his crease. While others, like the commentators, applauded Paine for his quick-thinking.
This is worse than a mankad. Ball is certainly ‘deader’.
I love mankads, so if we are allowed this kind of nonsense let’s open it all up https://t.co/wz0wtyhd0l— Chris Williams (@chris_willo) November 10, 2020
Looks like some kind of reverse-mankad to me. Should have definitely warned him that he was out of his ground. https://t.co/cHw1OrN4gr
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) November 10, 2020
Extraordinary dismissal alert!
Nick Larkin is beaten by a beauty, holds his pose, but doesn't realise his heel raises out of the crease as Tim Paine throws down the stumps#SheffieldShield— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) November 10, 2020
I’d pencil them both under fair, but I do like how this kind of thing is called “game awareness” and mankads are “poor sportsmanship”
Mankads are wrongly stigmatised, and the mankad name itself is part of the reason.— Tom Carpenter (@Carpo34) November 10, 2020
Not unusual for the batsman not to be expecting a stumping though? Plenty of examples of a foot/heel lifted at the wrong time or a batsman being marginally out of his ground and clearly not realising it.
I'm not against a mankad but can't see the similarities here— Marko B (@carlton_hero) November 10, 2020
Disgusting look for cricket imo. Keeper should keep up to the stumps to get the stumping.
Batsman played and missed, looking at deck where ball bounced, no attempt to run. Should the ball not be dead?— sammy laffan (@sammylaff) November 10, 2020
Brilliant work by Tim Paine. https://t.co/8jsvPPFiNb
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket) November 10, 2020
Don’t see anything wrong with this. Different to a mankad. Ball had been bowled. It’s simply a run out and a very smart move by Tim Paine. Very unfortunate for Nick Larkin. https://t.co/mwQaxDrXOv
— Jordan (@jordannoon) November 10, 2020
Look at his Pose 😄 !!
He’ll remember this for a long long time !!
Great batting display though !!
“ Captain “Paine classic !!
NSW after being bowled out for paltry 64 lead by 166 with 4 wickets in hand !! #SheffieldShield #TimPaine #NickLarkin #NSWvTAS #NSW #Tasmania https://t.co/ClQnz03A9L— Karthik Rao (@Cric_Karthikk) November 10, 2020
Regardless of the debate on social media, it was a legal dismissal and the Aussie captain’s quick-thinking to remove Larkin handed his team a chance after tea.
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Last year, Ravi Ashwin reignited the debate when he dismissed Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end by way of a ‘Mankad’.
The method of dismissal is legal but one seen by many as going against the spirit of the game, at least unless the batsman had been persistently backing up and thus warned by Ashwin first.
The incident was all the more contentious as Buttler was still in his crease when Ashwin arrived, only for the bowler to pull out of his action and wait for him to step forward before whipping off the bails.
Since then many players have opted not to perform the Mankad, but rather warn the batsman.
The latest example in international cricket was Australia’s Mitch Starc avoiding the Mankad and warning English batsman Adil Rashid instead.
Starc was praised for the sportsmanship.
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