Former India coach Ravi Shastri has delivered a hard-hitting message for those creating hue and cry over the much talked about ‘ spirit of the game ‘ debate. Shastri, who played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India, has seen up close and front when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has run batters out at the non-striker’s end for backing up too much. Earlier known as the ‘Mankad’ mode of dismissal, the MCC declared it a legit form of dismissal in 2019; however, it is still frowned upon by many a cricketing nation, England in particular, leading to discussions as to whether it’s the right thing to do in terms of the spirit of the game.
Shastri, taking exception to this belief, urged the naysayers to follow the rule book and stop creating a huge fuss about the matter. A firm believer in rules and not emotions, Shastri pointed out that he has no time to ‘warn’ the batters if they’re ‘cheating’ and giving themselves an advantage by taking off even before the ball is bowled.
“In this day and age, forget spirit. I believe in rules. You Mankaded a guy; it is the rules. There’s a rule book. Observe the damn rules. We’ll talk about this spirit later. A guy running two steps ahead. Oh, that’s fair. You should warn me. For what?” Shastri told Ashwin on his YouTube show ‘Kutti Stories by Ash’.
“The rule says you’re cheating. I hate warning. I would tip the bails off straightaway. On your bike. Rule book, page 33. Don’t crib. It’s there. Don’t whinge and moan after the bloody event. It’s there. It’s for everyone to read. It’s for both teams, so why are you making a noise about it?”
Shastri, known for his baritone voice and in-your-face attitude – which reflected in the way the Indian team conducted itself during his time as coach, reflected on the definition of cricket being the gentlemen’s game. The former India all-rounder admitted that he likes a bit of players having a go at each other, believing it brings the best out of the individuals. Shastri picked it up during his playing days, exuded the same during his stint as a broadcaster and most definitely when he was Team India’s head coach. Hear through his tracer bullets while in the commentary box or during those explosive post-match press conferences, and you’ll know what he’s talking about.
“Leave what’s happened on the field. Off the field, you’ve got to be man enough to walk up to the person. Even if he’s smashed you, say well done. Even if he’s given you a nice little spiel in the proper way, say that’s fair enough, part and parcel. I would hate a game where nothing is said. I like the noise. I really like the noise and it’s gamesmanship. It could be aggression. With me, it helped my language. My vocabulary improved when I got that stuff coming my way. And at a very young age, I know, if you got it, give it back,” added Shastri.
