Rob Key ignores Ravi Ashwin from his World Test XI because of ‘Mankading’ Jos Buttler

Rob Key, the former England cricketer, is not in favour of picking someone, who resorts to ‘Mankading’ in order to get batsmen out. Hence, he left out Ravi Ashwin from his eleven while zeroing in on a spinner for his World Test eleven in a virtual face-off against Nasser Hussain’s eleven.

Last year in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ashwin, who was the skipper of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), ‘Mankaded’ Jos Buttler in the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Thereafter, a controversy broke out at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur as Buttler was absolutely gutted over the matter.

In the end, the batsman had to walk off and KXIP went on to win the game. However, Ashwin was a recipient of severe backlash. Key, who played 15 Tests, five ODIs and a solitary T20I for the Brits, said that because Ashwin dismissed “one of his big mates”, he won’t be including the tweaker.

I am not having Ravi Ashwin, says Key

“This is where it’s a pain. The one who is statistically the best — is this right? — in my era is Ashwin. I refuse to have someone in my side who does ‘Mankads’,” Key was quoted as saying while speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast.

“I can’t…they’re an actual part of the game and all the bowlers can start hammering me, and it’s all part of it, but…. And he Mankaded one of my big mates, Jos Buttler, so I am not having him,” the 41-year-old mentioned. Instead of Ashwin, Key picked up Australia’s Nathan Lyon.

After the incident in Jaipur, Shane Warne, who’s the former Royals’ skipper, found it “disgraceful”. On the other hand, veteran umpire Simon Taufel supported Ashwin, saying the outburst against the Indian spinner was “incredibly unfair”.

Following the chaos, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) had to release a statement, clarifying the necessity of the law. The body said that “without it, non-strikers could back up at liberty, several yards down the pitch and a law is needed to prevent such action”.

It’s not the first time that Ashwin went for ‘Mankading’. During a tri-nation series in Australia in 2012, he ran Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Thirimanne out at the non-striker’s end and appealed. However, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar withdrew the appeal.

Rob Key’s World Test XI: Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, AB de Villiers, Pat Cummins, Dale Steyn, Nathan Lyon, James Anderson