In cricket, the run out at the non-striker’s end is currently legal, but still contentious. Every time any attempt to run out a player at the non-striker’s end happens, there is controversy.
In the second ODI between Bangladesh and the New Zealand, in the 46th over of the latter’s innings, hosts’ bowler Hasan Mahmud removed the bails at the non-striker’s end with Ish Sodhi backing up too far. Though it was out, umpire Marais Erasmus sent it upstairs for the third umpire. Sodhi even started applauding sarcastically and started walking. But then, Bangladesh captain Litton Das talked with Erasmus and called back Sodhi. The two involved – Sodhi and Mahmud – t6hen hugged it out.
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin, who had also run-out Jos Buttler during the 2019 Indian Premier League at the non-striker’s end, had given an interesting take on running out a batter at the non-striker’s end after the Deepti Sharma incident.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin spoke about the subject matter in detail, and before directly speaking about the incident, the off-spinner said: “In the beginning, the whole world saw it that way. But now, most of them have started realising that the bowlers didn’t commit any crime there. Many of them have started asking why you are asking questions to the innocent instead of asking the person who should be guilty. Only a certain section of the people seems to have a problem with this.”
“In my opinion, they always play the victim card. But whenever there is something new happening, there will be some resistance to change by a few people and that is understandable,” he added.
Further talking about the incident, Ashwin said: “Yes, I am talking about the run-out at the non-striker’s end done by Deepti Sharma dismissing Charlie Dean. I have already spoken enough on this subject already. So let me be short and sweet today. Risk vs Reward. Just like how a batter knows when he steps out of the crease against a spinner or a pacer that a wicketkeeper can dismiss them by stumping. Likewise, a non-striker should also know that he can be dismissed run-out legitimately if they keep stepping out of the crease and taking that extra yard.”
“We should teach the kids right from when they are young on this. Because in today’s world of competitive cricket, I spoke about this during the Ahmedabad Test match when the pitch issue’ was brought up on what was a good pitch. I told ‘do not control the narratives’.
Because a certain section of people consciously chooses to instill in others how they should think about a certain thing. They control their narratives. There are many articles on this exact subject. In fact, I see this as a bowler’s revolution,” he stated.
