India all-rounder Deepti Sharma’s run-out of England batter Charlotte Dean in the third and final ODI match of the series last week at the Lord’s continues to spark a debate.
Yes, MCC rules clearly states that running out a non-striker is within the laws of the game and has recently been moved from “unfair laws” to the section under “run-outs”. But what has kept the debate going is the “spirit of cricket”.
While some have backed the dismissal, many have questioned the intention behind it. And as the debate continues, England batter Jos Buttler has given a rather bizarre verdict on this dismissal.
Buttler has been a victim of this dismissal at the 2019 Indian Premier League when R Ashwin, then member of the Punjab Kings, had ran the Rajasthan Royals batter out at the non-striker’s end sparking a massive debate on social media. The two later shared the same dressing room in the 2022 season, for Rajasthan, and Buttler has admitted to the importance of staying in the crease until the bowler has released the ball into play.
However, Buttler continues to see this mode of dismissal as against the ‘spirit of cricket’ which is largely evident from the statement he made on Talk Sport when asked if he would support a bowler who runs out a batter at the non-striker’s end during a World Cup final.
“No, I am calling the batsman back,” Buttler said. “No one wants to see them in the game because they always create such a talking point when it should be about the battle between bat and ball and watching great games of cricket. They always seem to happen at unsavoury times.”
Buttler admitted that the rule has been in place to deny batters from gaining unfair advantage but wants the “grey areas” be addressed.
“I understand you have to have the rule there so people can’t just gain an unfair advantage, but I think they should re-word it because the way the law is written gives a lot of grey areas – with the “expected to bowl” part so maybe if they just tightened that up,” he added.
