'I think we both are on the same page' - Ricky Ponting on his chat with Ravi Ashwin over 'mankading'

Former Australian captain and Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had created havoc in the cricket world by saying that he would be having a ‘hard conversation’ with Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin regarding him running out non-strikers for backing up too far before a ball is delivered. However, amid various speculations, the DC coach revealed that the two had completed their long impending chat and are on the ‘same page’.

Ahead of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League, Ashwin, who previously captained the Kings XI Punjab for two seasons, was traded to Delhi Capitals. Last year, Ashwin had run-out Jos Buttler who was backing up at the non-striker’s end which had commenced a heated discussion among the cricket fans regarding the spirit of the game.

A few days back, the Indian off-spinner had shown a clip on his YouTube channel where he and Ponting maturely discussed their point of view regarding ‘running out non-striker’. Though both of them were firm on their beliefs, they arrived on a common point that there should be some penalty for the batsman if he is found backing up.

Confirming about the same, Ponting told cricket.com.au, “He (Ashwin) made me get on a podcast with him when I first arrived here to have a good open chat about it. I think we’re both on the same page. He feels he did everything in the rules and laws of the game and he’s absolutely right.”

Batsmen shouldn’t be cheating: Ricky Ponting

The batting great further said that though there is some logic in Ashwin’s points, he expects that the spinner would refrain himself from practicing ‘mankading’ and instead tell the batsman to stay in the crease. Also, he wants Ashwin to close the game of DC through his skills and experience, not by using such means.

“He’s saying, ‘What if it’s the last ball of the IPL, what if I’m bowling and the batting team needs two runs to win and the non-striker is charging halfway down the wicket? What do you expect me to do’?

There’s an argument there as well, but as I said to him, I would expect that he would hold on to the ball and not Mankad and tell the batsman to stay in his crease next time and see if he’s good enough to try and close the game out for us.” the 45-year-old further stated.

Ponting believes that the batsmen are cheating by backing up on the non-striker end. He feels that there should be strict laws or some kind of run-penalty for stopping the cricketers from doing so. Also, the cricketer firmly stated that this is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed soon.

“It shouldn’t get to that stage anyway, batsmen shouldn’t be cheating. That’s what batsmen are doing, batsmen are actually cheating by trying to steal a yard or two here or there. It’s something that needs to be addressed.”

“I think something has to happen with the laws of the game to make sure batsmen can’t cheat and there certainly shouldn’t be the rule the way it is. I think if you bring in some sort of run penalty for the batsman if they’re deliberately leaving their crease and pinching ground that might be the way to go about it,” the head coach concluded.