R Ashwin and Ricky Ponting discuss Mankading: We got to find a way to try and stop batsman from cheating

Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, as promised, revealed his conversation with Ricky Ponting over Mankading after the head coach said last month that he wouldn’t allow players from the team to run a batsman out at the non-striker’s end using the controversial method in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

R Ashwin, in the latest installment of his YouTube show ‘Hello Dubaiah’, said he had asked Ricky Ponting about his comments about Makading after the former Australia captain arrived in the UAE for IPL 2020. Notably, Ponting had said last month he would have a ‘hard conversation’ with the Delhi Capitals spinner before the tournament, starting September 19.

Ashwin and Ponting now seem to agree that a batsman is ‘cheating’ if he tries to walk out a couple of yards before the ball is delivered by the bowler.

“I will move on to the conversation between the both of us over the run-out at the non-striker’s end… To be honest, I am a serial sort of run out of guy. I started doing it at the age of 12 because I couldn’t stand the batsmen taking those extra yards,” Ashwin said while speaking to Ponting.

“I was a batsman myself in the junior category, and I feel it is a massive advantage. And the moment I did that, the spirit of cricket was brought into play.”

I totally get where you’re coming from: Ponting to Ashwin

Ponting responded to Ashwin, saying the law makers of the game need to find a way to stop batsmen from ‘cheating’ and a ‘run penalty’ might be the way forward.

“Yeah, I totally get where you are coming from,” Ponting said.

“I wasn’t trying to say that you were [not] justified because it is actually in the laws of the game that you can do it. So if a batsman is cheating, and trying to steal a couple of yards.

“I just think that we have got to find a way around. Trying to stop the batsman cheating. We have had this conversation already. I don’t want to see anyone running two or three yards down the wicket. Because that basically is cheating.

“I think there should be some sort of a run penalty. If you are to get to the top of your bowling action and stop, and it shows that the batsman is cheating and is out of his crease, I think put a run penalty on them.

“And do it right from the start, because that will stop him right away. Imagine taking 10 runs off a team total because you have taken yards… those sort of things need to be looked at.”