World Cup Mankad: Cricket’s most controversial move on the biggest stage

Mankading an opponent is arguably the most controversial move possible in a game of cricket. Executing a World Cup Mankad is even more shocking. Despite being well within the rulebooks, Mankading causes a great amount of stir, often dividing cricket fans and players. 

As a means of running out the non-striker before the delivery of the ball from the bowler, Mankading has always attracted a lot of negative buzz from fans and media outlets from across the world. While many argue it is against the spirit of the game, some maintain a firm stance and insist that it is well and truly within the laws of the game. 

Below, we outline the origins of the Mankad dismissal, how it got its name, and what makes them so controversial. We’ll also delve into some World Cup Mankad incidents that took the world by storm.

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Has there been a World Cup Mankad at the 2023 Cricket World Cup?

No, there have not been any instances of World Cup Mankads yet in 2023. However, read on to see some of the other occasions that this maneuver has been executed on the big stage in the past.

World Cup Mankad

Origin of the Mankad

Mankading refers to the act of a bowler attempting to run out the non-striker batsman before delivering the ball. The term ‘Mankad' took shape when India toured Australia way back in 1947 for a historic test series. Vinoo Mankad, the Indian opener and slow left-arm orthodox bowler was the first player to officially inflict this dismissal in international cricket. 

During one of his overs after observing that the non-striker was frequently out of his crease at the point of delivery, Mankad stopped in his delivery stride and whipped the bails off from the stumps at the non-striker’s end leading to the controversial dismissal of Bill Brown during the second Test. And that led to the inception of the ‘Mankading’ era. Since then we have witnessed a lot of bowlers resorting to Mankading in recent times especially when going gets tough for them. 

Although this incident first came to light during the late 1940s, the laws for this form of dismissal were written much further back in time. It was originally a part of Law 41 (unfair practice) but from October 1, 2022, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) brought about a change by categorising it as a general ‘run-out' dismissal and later moving it under Law 38 (Run Out). It is however very interesting to note that the term ‘Mankad’ is nowhere to be mentioned in the MCC lawbook.

List of all World Cup Mankad incidents

While there have officially been no World Cup Mankad incidents in any Men’s Cricket World Cups, there have been some reported instances of such incidents during bilateral series across all three formats. However, some lesser-known Mankad events took place in tournaments such as Regional World Cup Qualifiers and the U-19 Men’s World Cup. 

Without further adieu, let us delve into the World Cup Mankad events that occurred at the regional and U19 levels of international cricket. 

1. Richard Ngarava Mankaded by Keemo Paul in the 2016 U-19 World Cup

During the final over of the game, Zimbabwe needed three runs to secure victory with only one wicket remaining. Fast bowler Keemo Paul commenced his over in what was an exhilarating encounter between the two teams. As Paul prepared to deliver the ball, the non-striker, Richard Ngarava, attempted to gain an advantage by leaving his crease in an effort to steal a quick single.

However, instead of completing his bowling action, Paul halted his delivery and swiftly dislodged the bails at the non-striker's end, appealing for a run-out. The television umpire correctly determined that Ngarava was outside his crease when the bails were removed, resulting in him being declared run-out.

This crucial decision proved to be the turning point of the match, as the Windies emerged victorious by a narrow margin of two runs, securing a place in the quarter-finals. Additionally, this Mankad incident also marked the end of Zimbabwe's tournament in the World Cup.

2. Mohammad Huraira Mankaded by Noor Ahmad in the 2020 U-19 World Cup

During the fourth Super League quarter-final at the U-19 World Cup, Noor Ahmad, a wrist-spinner from Afghanistan, successfully ran out Pakistani opener Mohammad Huraira at the non-striker's end. He whipped off the bails in his delivery stride while the batter was still out of his crease. 

The concerned umpire called for the intervention of Roly Black, the third umpire, who took a long hard look at the replays to rule Huraira run-out. Huraira was run out for 64 (74) leaving Pakistan reeling at 127-4. However, at the time of his dismissal, Pakistan were cruising nicely and required only 63 to win in 134 balls. Pakistan eventually got to their target within 42 overs and with six wickets in hand.

3. John Kariko Mankaded by Joseph Baguma in the 2022 U-19 World Cup

This World Cup Mankad incident occurred during the U-19 World Cup match between Uganda and Papua New Guinea in 2022. During the Papua New Guinea innings, John Kariko was standing at the non-striker end backed up too far, presenting an opportunity to Joseph Baguma to effect the run-out dismissal at the non-striker’s end.

Whilst chasing 124, PNG found themselves reduced to 74-8 following the departure of Kariko. Uganda eventually came on top and comprehensively defeated PNG by 35 runs. The video went viral and within moments it started garnering mixed reactions. While South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi offered full support for the dismissal, it did not however go down so well with the former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

4. Maeva Douma’s Mankad in the 2021 ICC Women's World Cup Africa Qualifier

Maeva Douma is a professional women’s cricketer who plays for the Cameroon National Women's team. In September 2021, she ran out four different batters at the non-striker's end, becoming only the second player to do so in the history of cricket. 

During the first match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier between Cameroon and Uganda, Douma dismissed Kevin Awino, Rita Musamali, Immaculate Nakisuuyi, and Janet Mbabazi, all of them in the form of Mankad dismissals. Nevertheless, it was Uganda who emerged victorious in the match, securing a remarkable 155-run win over Cameroon, who could only manage 35 runs in the second innings.

5. Courtney Walsh avoids taking the first World Cup Mankad 

During the 1987 World Cup match between Pakistan and West Indies, Courtney Walsh displayed a great sense of sportsmanship at the cost of his team’s success. Walsh refused to Mankad Pakistan’s last man Saleem Jaffar in a group match in the 1987 World Cup. It was the final ball of the match and a wicket then would have surely have meant curtains for Pakistan.

But instead, he let Jaffar off with a warning, rather than executing the first World Cup Mankad. Pakistan went on to win the match while the defeat eventually brought about an end to West Indies’ semi-final aspirations. 

Decades later, Walsh was interviewed by several journalists who asked him to recall this incident. He explained that he did the right thing as he could not have run the batter out without issuing a warning. For him, the spirit of the game mattered to him the most. Fast forward to today, people still appreciate his fine gesture and perhaps feel that he saved the image of the sport on that crucial day.

Why is Mankading so controversial?

Law 38.3 of the ‘Run-Out’ under the MCC Laws of Cricket suggests that it is unfair for a batter to leave his ground early after the ball comes into play and before the release of the ball. In other words, it is the non-striker's responsibility to stay within his crease till the ball has been delivered. 

Should there be a run-out attempt by the bowlers at the non-striker's end, the umpire concerned can adjudge the batter out run-out if he/she feels that the batter was out of his/her crease when the wicket was put down. This provision is put in place to prevent the batters (especially the non-striker), from gaining ground

Although the law has been laid out perfectly, Mankad dismissals do not often go down so well, especially in a tight limited-overs game when everything is put under the microscope. Perhaps the main reason why it is considered a very despised subject is the fact that it offers an easy means for the fielding team to pick up a wicket. Mankading does not involve the delivery of the ball and hence it proves to be a very effective wicket-taking option during difficult times, giving the fielding team an undue advantage. 

This definitely holds true. Instead of going the extra mile, a bowler may get tempted to run out the non-striker whilst in the process sacrificing his/her stock deliveries. Besides, batters who also try to leave the ground early do not do so intentionally, unless it’s the last over of the match. All of these contributing aspects make this form of dismissal a very controversial one. 

Bren GrayBren Gray

Bren is our resident Kiwi, and has been playing or watching sports down under in New Zealand for the better part of three decades. With 12+ years' experience as a professional writer, Bren loves to dive deep into all things cricket to bring the best betting analysis, predictions and news here at CricNerds.com.