Murali Karthik Weighs In On Run-out Law Update, Says High Time We Stopped Criminalizing Bowlers In The Name of Spirit of Cricket

In Murali Kartik's case, he had a basic rule, he would warn the non-striker not once but thrice and then take the bails off.

New Delhi: Former India player and cricket commentator Murali Karthik expressed his views on the latest run-out law update. On Wednesday, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) amended the laws and stated “…running out the non-striker has been moved from Law 41 (Unfair play) to Law 38 (Run out). The wording of the Law remains the same.”

One of the finest left-arm spinners of his era with 644 first-class wickets, Kartik, who represented the country in eight Tests and 37 ODIs, ran as many as five batters out at the non-striker’s end across formats during his playing days.

This is something that Kartik, along with stars such as Ravichandran Ashwin, have been advocating for more than a decade.

“There is spirit of cricket. But what I have always argued is that this is not ‘Spirit of Cricket’. That people who are actually flouting it were the ones hiding behind the garb of ‘Spirit of Cricket’. It was a classic case of ‘Pot calling kettle black’,” Kartik told PTI during a chat.

So does he feel vindicated after all these years when people accused him of taking “unfair advantage” by running out batters who backed up too far at the non-striker’s end?

“I would say it is a vindication of what I have felt right. It was definitely high time that we stopped criminalising the bowlers for doing it,” the renowned commentator said.

“It’s the batter who gains unfair advantage and you are blaming the bowler and calling him wrong?

“That is what my fight has been. I have always told people I would have ran all 11 out if allowed,” he laughed.

Ashwin, in recent times, has had a lot of support for his opinion but if one recalls Kartik’s playing days, he had little support outside his team but he never felt the need to change.

“I have done it five times. Never ever have I felt any lack of support because I have always believed if it is right and just because nobody else is believing it, does not mean that it is not right. It is as simple as that,” he said.

In Kartik’s case, he had a basic rule, he would warn the non-striker not once but thrice and then take the bails off.

“I never felt any pressure even when it wasn’t an accepted norm of dismissal because some felt that it didn’t supposedly adhere to ‘Spirit of Cricket’ whoever it may be. Anyone whom I have ran out at non-striker’s end, I have warned that batter at least three times,” he said.

Inputs from PTI

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