Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has suggested imposing a run penalty on the batting team every time a non-striker leaves the crease before the ball is delivered as a solution to avoid the debate surrounding the mode of dismissal.
Ponting recently said he would talk with his team’s star bowler R. Ashwin to dissuade the latter from running batsmen out at the non-striker’s end for backing up early. Ashwin faced criticism for dismissing Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler in this manner during the last IPL.
“I wasn’t saying you weren’t justified because within the laws of the game you can do it,” Ponting said on Ashwin’s YouTube channel.
“I just feel we have to find a way around to stop the batsmen from cheating. I don't want to see anyone running two or three yards down the wicket because that basically is cheating.”
Ponting, incidentally, was a member of the MCC cricket committee that had endorsed a change to the wording of the law in 2016, effectively allowing bowlers more leeway to complete the run out. When Ashwin suggested disallowing runs for the ball when the non-striker is found out of the crease before the bowler has delivered, Ponting agreed and went a step further.“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,” Ponting said.
“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 a yard out of your crease. Those sorts of things need to be looked at.”
