Buttler wants clarity on ‘wishy-washy’ Mankading law

Buttler was run out by Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin in Royals’ season-opener, and it cost them the match as they fell 14 short of Punjab’s total. Buttler had been batting on 69 off 43 balls then.

As is customary, the dismissal caused furore across the cricketing community and polarised opinion, bringing into focus the Spirit of Cricket. However, nothing demonstrated the ambiguity surrounding the law more than the MCC, the makers of the law, themselves changing their statement.

According to the law, if the non-striker is outside the crease at the point the bowler would “normally” be expected to release the ball, then it is within the rules to run him out. Buttler called for this to be clarified.

"Of course, a Mankading has to be in the laws of the game, because a batsman can't just run halfway down the pitch trying to get a headstart," Buttler told ESPNcricinfo. "But I do think, the way the law is written, there is a bit of a grey area in that saying 'when a bowler is expected to release the ball'. That is a bit of a wishy-washy statement."

Buttler went on to say that if that were the case, then the umpire had been wrong to adjudge him out, because when Ashwin was expected to release the ball, he had been inside the crease. However, he went on to say that he would do everything he could to make sure he doesn’t fall into the trap again.

"At the time, I was really disappointed with it. I didn't like the style of it. I just thought it was a bad precedent at the start of the tournament. For the tournament itself. It was a really disappointing way to start the tournament.

"I didn't agree with it, but what can you do? After a day or so, I was pretty relaxed about it and I'll make sure it never happens again. It won't happen again."

Buttler admitted that the dismissal unsettled him. After all, it was the second time in his career that he was dismissed in that fashion. "What was more disappointing is that suddenly over the next two games I found myself being really conscious of it and it is quite distracting," he said.

"That is why it was nice to get some runs in the win [earlier this week, when he scored 59] and get back to thinking about batting and not worrying about how I back up at the non-striker's end."