Mumbai: Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has insisted that the word 'Mankading' should be removed from cricket's terminology as it is disrespectful to former all-rounder Vinoo Mankad and instead should be rechristened as 'Browned'.
"I have grave objections to that because it's putting one of India's cricketing legends in a bad light," cricket.com.au quoted Gavaskar as saying in a recent television debate.
"If it has to be referred by somebody's name, it should be (named after) the non-striker, who, despite being warned twice by Mr Mankad ... he left (his crease). And the third time was when Mankad removed the bails and so suddenly there was an uproar created," he added.
The term ' Mankading' was coined by Australian journalists after Vinoo Mankad who ran Bill Brown out for backing up too far before the ball was bowled on India's tour of Australia 1947-48.
Mankad did not refrain from using it again in the second Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) after which it garnered more heat.
"I think it should be called (getting) 'Browned' because it was Bill Brown who was outside the crease. He was at fault, not Mr Mankad," Gavaskar said.
"Our legend's name should not be spoiled. If you want to call it anything, just say the batsman was ' Browned', not 'Mankaded'," he added.
These comments from the former Indian skipper came a fortnight after the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) approved changes that will put more onus on the batsman to stay in his ground.
The rare act of running out the bowler at the non-striker's end, despite being within the rules, has long been considered unsportsmanlike.
The MCC has moved to eradicate such controversy by extending the point at which a bowler can attempt the run out and also changing the name of the law to "put the onus on the non-striker to remain in his/her ground".
"It is often the bowler who is criticised for attempting such a run out but it is the batsman who is attempting to gain an advantage," the MCC said of changes to Law 41.16, which is now called 'Non striker leaving his/her ground early' having previously been called 'Bowler attempting to run out non-striker before delivery'.
"The message to the non-striker is very clear - if you do not want to risk being run out, stay within your ground until the bowler has released the ball," the MCC added.
