"That's a weak way to get someone out" - Shane Watson not in favor of non-striker run-out mode of dismissal

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson recently claimed that 'Mankading' is against the spirit of the game and that it's something he would never do. Watson also believes bowlers resort to it when they find no other way to dismiss a batter and describes it as 'weak'.

Mankading refers to a bowler running the non-striker out before delivering the ball for backing up too far. Although the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) legitimized the mode of dismissal after changing the wording in October, it remains controversial and the change ignited widespread polarization.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at a sponsor's event for the T20 World Cup final, Watson stated that regardless of the change, he would never do it. The Queenslander claimed that he would rather lose than try to get a wicket that way.

"That's what it's moved to know. Now it seems like, with what I've seen, when people have used that rule, now they normally do it when there's a lot riding on that moment in the game and they have to find a way to try and get someone out. If you're not good enough to be able to get someone out in a proper way, then I think that's a weak way to get someone out - and if you can't get someone out in a proper way, you should lose."

He added:

"For me, growing up, it was something I'd never even thought about. You never thought about exposing that because it wasn't in the spirit of the game. I never would, even now with the rule change because there's other ways to try to get someone out."

One of the most recent examples was when Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Jos Buttler in that fashion in IPL 2019. More recently, Indian women's cricketer Deepti Sharma dismissed Charlie Dean of England by removing the bails during her delivery stride. England eventually lost the game by 16 runs following that dismissal.

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"I certainly would never recommend anyone doing it" - Shane Watson

Shane Watson. (Image Credits: Getty)

Watson further stated that despite legalizing the dismissal, he would never encourage anyone to do so as it has brutal consequences. The 41-year-old described how he would warn the batters for backing up too far, stating:

"But now people have got a different perspective on it, because now you can legally do it. But honestly, from my perspective after coaching in the Indian Premier League as an assistant coach, I certainly would never recommend anyone doing that. Because it's a law, if you feel very strongly that you want to find that way of getting a batter out, then you can do it legally, but you've got to accept the potential ramifications from people, the talking points around it."

"There were times I was bowling and someone was taking off and taking off, but you just wouldn't bowl the ball. And you would say, come on, you got to stay in your crease."

Watson joined the Delhi Capitals as an assistant coach in IPL 2022 and is likely to reprise his role this year as well.