Be it the cricket pitch or the court of public opinion, the primacy of law is paramount, believes Rahul Mankad, 63, the only surviving son of former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad. The question of sportsmanship in cricket cuts close to the bone for the Australia-based Mankad, who was in Mumbai recently to speak at an event commemorating the 102nd birth anniversary of his father.
Vinoo Mankad is among India’s great allrounders. He was the first to accomplish the double of 1,000 Test runs and 100 wickets. But he is also come to be known for a type of run-out deemed against the spirit of cricket, much to the annoyance of his family.
In a recent T20 league game, Ravichandran Ashwin clipped the bails prior to releasing the ball, having spotted the non-striker, Jos Buttler, drifting away from the bowling crease. The manner of his dismissal inevitably drew references to ‘Mankading’. Vinoo Mankad had used the same tactic to run Australia’s Bill Brown out over half a century ago in Sydney, albeit after duly warning him in earlier games.
Ravichandran Ashwin (L) clipped the bails prior to releasing the ball, having spotted the non-striker, Jos Buttler (R),drifting away from the bowling crease.
“It is not as if my father was the first person to run out a non-striker, and nor is he the last,” said a visibly galled Mankad at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). “It is unfair that his name is being dragged into the picture every time such an incident happens.
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“‘Mankading’ sounds catchy, but the problem comes when you mix the spirit aspect, in which case, it becomes a moveable feast. It is like [a bowler] saying that I have overstepped by one inch, so why are you calling it a no-ball?”
Mankad added that criticism aimed at Ashwin was unjust, as Buttler had been previously dismissed in similar fashion in a competitive game. “Bill Brown had the bad habit [of straying out of the crease and gaining an advantage], and Buttler is a serial offender,” he said, making the case against warning batsmen who knowingly step out of the crease to sneak in a quick run by exploiting the letter-spirit conflict of cricketing law.
Former players have backed Mankad in his quest to expunge or redact the term from the game’s vernacular.
Pitch Perfect: Gambhir, Kirti Azad, Kaif & Other Cricketers Who Forayed Into Politics
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The 2019 elections have kicked off in parts of India, and the IPL too, is on full swing. Therefore, cricket and politics are bound to be the most-popular subjects of conversation at the dinner table. Amidst this, when a cricketer steps inside Parliament instead of the pitch, it's bound to make headlines.
Earlier this year in March, cricketer Gautam Gambhir joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). The former opener is the richest among all candidates contesting from Delhi with assets worth Rs 147 crores. However, Gambhir isn't the only one who has forayed into India's political scene.
Here's a round-up of all other cricketers who switched from the pitch to Parliament.
The 2019 elections have kicked off in parts of India, and the IPL too, is on full swing. Therefore, cricket and politics are bound to be the most-popular subjects of conversation at the dinner tabl..
Read More
Former all-rounder Kirti Azad has had a rather interesting political career. Azad, who was a part of the legendary 1983 World Cup-winning squad, traversed from the BJP to Congress in his ongoing political career.
The right-handed batsman was never too detached from the political scene as his father, Bhagwat Jha Azad, served as Bihar's Chief Minister from 1988 to 1989. He contested for the elections from Darbhanga, Bihar, won thrice and served as the Member of Parliament on all occasions. However, things went south for Azad in 2015 when he was suspended from the BJP for publicly criticising Arun Jaitley and his ignorance towards corruption in Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA).
In February 2018, Azad joined the Congress, terming it 'coming home' for him as his father also represented the same party.
Former all-rounder Kirti Azad has had a rather interesting political career. Azad, who was a part of the legendary 1983 World Cup-winning squad, traversed from the BJP to Congress in his ongoing poli..
Read More
Navjot Singh Sidhu's blockbuster cricket debut in 1981-82 was followed by a streak of 20 successful years in the sport. The 55-year-old who was popular for his explosive batting made headlines in 2004 when he joined the BJP.
The former batsman contested elections from Amritsar and won the seat in the first attempt itself and held on to it for 10 years straight. In 2016, Sidhu was nominated for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. However, he quit the party in the same year, citing differences with the leadership.
In 2017, he joined the Congress and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from East Amritsar.
Navjot Singh Sidhu's blockbuster cricket debut in 1981-82 was followed by a streak of 20 successful years in the sport. The 55-year-old who was popular for his explosive batting made headlines in 200..
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Mohammad Azharuddin has had his share of ups and downs. The man who ruled the batting scenario in the '90s with his sharp strokes fell out of the game in 2000 when he was accused of match-fixing. However, in 2009, after receiving a push from his brother and friend, the 56-year-old joined the Congress. He won the Lok Sabha election from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and became a Member of Parliament, thanks to huge amount of public support.
In 2014, he lost the elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. Recently, the right-handed batsman expressed his desire to contest 2019 elections from Secunderabad.
Mohammad Azharuddin has had his share of ups and downs. The man who ruled the batting scenario in the '90s with his sharp strokes fell out of the game in 2000 when he was accused of match-fixing. How..
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The early 2000s saw a swift generational switch in Indian cricket with young skippers like Mohammad Kaif. The 38-year-old left fans mesmerised with his energy and maturity on the pitch. However, in 2014, he took some time off cricket and decided to join politics. The right-handed batsman joined the Congress and contested the elections from Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh. However, he faced heavy defeat to BJP’s Keshav Prasad Maurya. The sports star has since not been actively involved in politics.
The early 2000s saw a swift generational switch in Indian cricket with young skippers like Mohammad Kaif. The 38-year-old left fans mesmerised with his energy and maturity on the pitch. However, in 2..
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Chetan Chauhan, who once used to be a reliable batsman, has been a member of BJP throughout his political career. In 1991 and 1998, he was elected the member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha Seat. However, his political career has not been quite smooth. He lost the elections from the same constituency in 1996, 1999 and 2004. At present, he is the youth development and sports minister in UP.
Chetan Chauhan, who once used to be a reliable batsman, has been a member of BJP throughout his political career. In 1991 and 1998, he was elected the member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha..
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S Sreesanth's cricket career has not been an ideal one either. In 2013, things went south for him when he was accused of match-fixing in the IPL.
The 36-year-old joined the BJP in 2016 and contested the Kerala Assembly Elections from Thiruvananthapuram. However, the former bowler could not win the polls against VS Sivakumar of Congress. In 2015, Sreesanth was acquitted of the match-fixing charges.
S Sreesanth's cricket career has not been an ideal one either. In 2013, things went south for him when he was accused of match-fixing in the IPL.The 36-year-old joined the BJP in 2016 and contested t..
He said, “Sunil Gavaskar has written to major publications in India requesting them to refrain from using the term ‘Mankading’.” In a television debate, Gavaskar made a case for rechristening ‘Mankaded’ to ‘Browned’, saying that it should be referred to by the non-striker’s name, as Bill Brown was at fault for not paying heed to two prior warnings from Vinoo Mankad. Michael Holding and the Chappell brothers (Greg and Ian) have also thrown their weight behind Mankad’s campaign.
Former India captain Nari Contractor reminded the audience at the CCI of Vinoo Mankad’s stature, and that ‘Mankading’ was never an official term but one coined by Australian media.
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“Much before Kapil Dev and others came into the picture, Vinoo set the bar for Indian all-rounders,” said Contractor, who took to the stage with the aid of a walker, having undergone hip surgery recently. “He won plaudits from Don Bradman for his cricket after that controversial tour. Bradman publicly said that there was nothing wrong with Mankad’s dismissal of Brown. It is the Australian press that coined ‘Mankading’.”
Mankad said, “No official body has ever used the phrase. The MCC, which is the custodian of the Laws of Cricket, calls it run-out. Only when journalists use the phrase in their writing, does it gain currency. There is no room to take the moral high ground.”
