Mankad

What do you know about when a free batsman comes out of his zone during a bowler’s pitch? Is it legal and why is such an action called Mankad or Mankading? We also analyze the moment with the phrase Manhattan. Read our short and interesting review about some of the phrases of the sport of cricket.

The phrase Mankad in cricket refers to batsmen, namely to actions in earning runs. It is known that there are always two players with a bat on the pitch – one protects the wicket and hits the balls, the second protects the 2nd wicket (he is considered a free batsman). When the bowler runs up to the pitch during his innings, the second free batsman starts walking towards the pitch. This is done to reduce the time to move around the pitch (for a set of runs).

A free player with a bat moves only a short distance away from the popping crease. If the batsman moves completely away from the crease, the wicket will be considered unprotected. Naturally, according to the Laws of Cricket, a bowler can knock it out. However, if a free batsman has time to return and the bowler tries to take a wicket, the ball will be counted as a no ball, which will bring plus one run for the batting team.

Yes, an action called Mankad or Mankading is not officially prohibited in cricket. However, in addition to the Laws of Cricket, there is also a simple sports solidarity in the game. The most important thing is that such exits distract the bowler very much. Imagine that you are set up for your signature serve, and during its performance, a person will come towards the throw. Naturally, it is distracting. Mandkading especially angers bowlers during such innings, when an important moment of the game is being decided.

But, since it is not prohibited in the Laws of Cricket, the opinion about Mankad was divided. There were those athletes who spoke positively for such actions and cricketers who were categorically against it.

Why is it called that? The action was named after the Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad. At one time, he seriously opposed free batsmen who left the zone like that. In 1947-1948, during an Indian tour around Australia, a moment occurred. Mankad, stopped during the acceleration and knocked out a nearby wicket (then the free batsman Bill Brown was standing behind the zone). Such actions infuriated the local Australian media, who questioned the professionalism of Vinoo Mankad in their magazines and newspapers. After that, the exit of a free player during the delivery was called Mankading.

Vinoo Mankad received a lot of negative reviews in his address. But there were also those who fully supported him. One of them was the famous Australian cricketer Sir Don Bradman, who said the following words:

Yes, for the life of me, I can’t understand why the media and everyone else put Mankad’s sporting prowess in doubt. It is also quite clear that a non-batting player must remain within the wicket until the ball is thrown out. If not, then why do the Laws of Cricket prescribe the moments when wickets can be knocked out? It is also logical that by retreating too early and too far, a free batsman gets an unfair advantage.

Again, Mankading is a completely legitimate technique in cricket. But some experts say that everything should be consensual. If a bowler wants Mankading to not happen before his innings, he negotiates with a free batsman. By the way, it was Vinoo Mankad who warned Bill Brown before knocking out the wicket.

According to historical data, the first batsman who could be knocked out in this way was the English cricketer George Baigent in 1835. If you look at the statistics, you can determine that Mankading does not happen very often. So, only 4 cases were registered in the test draws. Also, 4 moments occurred in ODI format matches, and only one case was registered in Twenty20.

The only thing is that the first-class championship, that is, the internal one, leads in the number of unsportsmanlike runs (and if you compare how many matches have been played for all time and how many moments with Mankading – this is still a very low indicator). This means that every player respects their rivals and reveres such a significant game as cricket.

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