Since Deepti Sharma dismissed England’s Charlie Dean through a way which is acceptable by some and unacceptable for others, mankading, to end the 3-0 ODI series victory for India at Lord’s. Even though the MCC, the guardians of the rules of the game, has been steadfast in supporting it as a legal mode of dismissal, England players—both current and former—as well as other experts in British, have been aggressively disapproving Deepti Sharma’s mode of dismissal. On Friday, Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle criticised the English media on Twitter for how they had covered the situation.
I find it very disturbing that a very large section of the media in England is asking questions of a girl who played by the laws of the game & none at all of another who was gaining an illegal advantage and was a habitual offender. That includes reasonable people & I think (1/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
it is a cultural thing. The English thought it was wrong to do so & because they ruled over a large part of the cricket world, they told everyone it was wrong. The colonial domination was so powerful that few questioned it. As a result,the mindset still is that what England (2/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
considers wrong should be considered wrong by the rest of the cricket world, much like the "line" the Aussies say you must not cross having decided what the line should be which is fine in their culture but may not be for others. The rest of the world is no longer obligated (3/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
to think the way England does and so we see what is so plainly wrong. So too the notion that turning tracks are bad but seaming tracks are fine. The reason I say it is cultural is that it is what they are brought up to think. They don't think it is wrong. The problem arises (4/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
and we are guilty of it too, when people sit in judgement of each other's approach. England wants the rest of the world not to like running out batters at the non-striker's end and have been vitriolic and abusive towards Deepti and others who have done it. We come hard too (5/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
asking others to wake up from centuries old colonial slumber. The easiest thing is to play by the laws of the game & stop worrying about subjective interpretation of the spirit of the game,stop forcing opinions on others.The law says the non-striker must be behind the crease(6/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
till the bowler's arm is at its highest point. If you obey that, the game will move along smoothly. If you point fingers at others, like many in England have at Deepti, you remain open to questions asked of you. It is best if those in power, or who were in power, (7/n)
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 30, 2022
