Ever since India all-rounder Deepti Sharma ran-out England’s Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end in an ODI played at the Lords Cricket Ground, this mode of dismissal has been widely debated with some having the opinion that this is not in keeping with the spirit of cricket. It is important to mention that running the non-striker out when they venture too far ahead of the crease even when the bowler has not delivered the ball is perfectly legal and it was recently moved from the ‘unfair play’ section to the run-out category by the ICC.
Ahead of India’s T20 World Cup Super 12 match against Zimbabwe, Ravichandran Ashwin addressed a press conference where he spoke about the team’s preparations and the challenge that lies ahead. With Ashwin speaking to the media, it is almost obvious that a question will be asked on running the non-striker out if he/she ventures too far ahead when the bowler has not even delivered the ball.
Replying to the question regarding running non-striker out if he/she is too far ahead when the ball has not been even delivered, Ashwin said: “Honestly, I would also not like to get out like that. Just because I don’t like doesn’t mean I cannot get out like that. Nobody likes getting out, I do not like being knicked off, bowled, LBW, run-out. Likewise, I would also not like to get run-out at the non-striker’s end.”
“It is a form of a dismissal and it is legal. There are many arguments regarding that. Like with anything else in this world, people are going to have contradictory thoughts. Whether you want to do it or not, it is absolutely fine. It is good to know that some people won’t do it, because you can run at the last minute and wait. It is good, people are going to come and say they won’t do it, as a cricketer, I’ll use that to my advantage.
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Further talking about the journey so far in the World Cup, Ashwin said: “We have not reached here easily (laughs). We have had quite tricky games against Bangladesh and Pakistan. These games went down to the wire. I think even people watching the game, giving their expert opinion on the game are still learning because the game is decided by such small margins.”
“The experts themselves feel they are catching up with the game seeing how it has evolved. So, it would be unfair to say that the team has not stepped up or the team is not looking at its best. It is about how one performs on the day and how are you going to counter a bowler who has bowled a good over. You cannot nail it down and say a team has not played good cricket or wonderful cricket. T20 cricket is standing on small margins so to make any reviews, I would just say that make a review after the game,” he added.
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