Charlie Dean’s controversial run-out on Saturday prompted heated debate about whether the dismissal was in the spirit of the game but the Marylebone Cricket Club has said the onus is on batters not to leave the crease at the non-striker’s end too soon.
India bowler Deepti Sharma ran out England’s Dean for the final wicket in a one-dayer at Lord’s after the the non-facing batter had stepped out of her crease, prompting jeers from the crowd.
The dismissal is legal but classed as ‘Unfair Play’ in the rule book, though that is to change from Oct 1 when it is categorised simply as a run out.
“This was done to clarify this matter and to place an onus on batters to ensure that they do not leave the crease at the non-striker’s end, prior to a bowler releasing the ball,” MCC, the custodians of the game’s laws, said in a statement on Sunday.
“Whilst yesterday was indeed an unusual end to an exciting match, it was properly officiated and should not be considered as anything more.”
India captain Harmanpreet Singh praised Sharma for showing match “awareness”.
“I don’t think we have done anything new. It is an ICC rule and you always take those chances,” Kaur said after winning the series.
“I will back my player because she has not done anything that is not part of the rule.”

Deepti says Dean ‘warned’ before Mankad run-out
India’s Deepti Sharma yesterday said the team repeatedly warned England tailender Dean for backing up at the non-striker’s end before she controversially ran Dean out.
The rare mode of dismissal, named after Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad who ran out Australia batsman Bill Brown backing up in a 1948 Sydney Test, was last week ruled legitimate by the International Cricket Council.
But Deepti’s run-out of Dean, who broke into tears after being dismissed on 47 as England fell short of their 170-run target at the weekend, left the cricket world divided on the tactic, which was long considered against the spirit of the sport.
“You surely don’t train all your lives to win a game using that tactic... and I know batters should train to stay behind the line but it stinks seeing a game won like that,” former England men’s captain Michael Vaughan tweeted.
But Deepti, whose team swept the series 3-0, said they had done nothing wrong.
“That was our plan because she was repeatedly doing it and we had warned them too,” Deepti, an off-spinner, told reporters on the team’s arrival in Kolkata.
“We had also informed the umpires. But still she was right there so there wasn’t much we could do. We did everything according to the rules and guidelines.”
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, whose Mankad run-out of England’s Jos Buttler in an Indian Premier League match in 2019 was widely criticised, also joined the debate on social media.
“How about awarding that wicket to the bowler for ‘presence of mind’ under immense pressure and of course knowing the social stigma that he/she would have to deal with post doing it,” he wrote on Twitter.
 
England’s Knight accuses India of lying over run-out
England women’s captain Heather Knight has accused India of “lying” about giving tailender Dean warnings before her controversial “Mankad” run-out in the third one-day international between the sides.
Tweeting in response to Deepti’s comments, Knight acknowledged that Dean was dismissed legitimately but she said: “No warnings were given.”
“They don’t need to be given, so it hasn’t made the dismissal any less legitimate,” she said yesterdsay.
“But if they’re comfortable with the decision to affect the run out, India shouldn’t feel the need to justify it by lying about warnings.”