Mitchell Starc proposes radical solution that will END the 'Mankad'

Mitchell Starc proposes radical solution that will END the ‘Mankad’ as Australian bowler claims batsman should be ‘docked a run’ every time they leave their crease ahead of the T20 World Cup

• Mitchell Starc has offered a solution to finally bring an end to the ‘Mankad’ 
• Starc warned Jos Buttler about leaving his crease too early last Friday night 
• The 32-year-old says it will stop if batters are docked a run for going too early

Mitchell Starc has offered a fix for the ‘Mankad’ as Australia’s fast bowler believes that any controversy will be stopped if batsmen are docked a run every time they leave their crease too early.

The quick made headlines last week when he warned England captain Jos Buttler for backing up too far during a warm up T20 match in Canberra. 

The ‘Mankad’ has become a major topic of conversation ahead of the World Cup, with players on edge about the risk of being run out at the non-striker’s end by the bowler as he charges in to deliver a ball. 

Mitchell Starc has proposed a radical solution to ending the controversial ‘Mankad’ in cricket

Starc revealed to The Age that he has always warned opponents of the possibility of falling victim to the ‘Mankad’ throughout his career.

And now the 32-year-old has proposed an intriguing solution: use the fixed cameras which monitor no balls to check if a batsman has left his crease before the bowler’s foot has landed. If he is found to have backed up too far, the batting team will be deducted one run. 

‘While it is hard to do at all levels, why not take it out of the hands of interpretation and make it black and white?’ Starc said. ‘There are cameras for front foot no-balls, a camera there all the time [in international cricket] and someone watching the line.

The Australian bowler warned Jos Buttler about being outside his crease last Friday night

Starc says he has warned numerous batsmen about the risk of the Mankad during his career 

‘Every time the batter leaves the crease before the front foot lands, dock them a run. There’s no grey area then. And in T20 cricket where runs are so handy at the back end and games can be decided by, one, two, three runs all the time, if all of a sudden you get docked 20 runs because a batter’s leaving early, you’re going to stop doing it aren’t you?

‘Then there’s no stigma. It’s taken away from the decision to have to run someone out or think about it. If it’s blatant, it is a different story, but I feel like that is at least completely black and white.’

Starc added that on seven separate occasions he warned New Zealand players about falling victim to the ‘Mankad’ during a recent ODI series in Queensland.

He believes batsmen will stop backing up too far if they are docked a run every time they do it

‘I’ve warned batters plenty of times, [Buttler] is not the first occasion,’ he said. ‘I warned probably seven Kiwi batters in those ODI games in the top end – some were two metres outside their crease.

‘As I said to Jos, I could never see myself doing it, but it doesn’t mean that you should then feel free to leave your crease early.’

Starc joked that his fellow bowlers would likely get behind his proposal, although his teammates who bring home the runs may not be so keen to back the reform.

‘I’m sure it’s probably going to pop its head up throughout the World Cup, no doubt. But whether anyone follows through and does it, I saw the captains say it wasn’t going to happen.’

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