Jos Buttler Breaks his Silence over Mankading Controversy

The IPL 2019 season is now in full swing and as always, the year is full of action and drama. The best part is, we are nowhere near the halfway stage yet. Sometime ago, a highly controversial incident rocked the sport. As it turned out, during a match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab. Ravichandran Ashwin was bowling at the time and the victim was Jos Buttler. Up until then, Buttler had been raining a world of hurt on the Punjab bowlers.

Then, up stepped Ashwin and the danger man was on the non-striker’s end. Ashwin had a positively wicked idea and executed it to perfection. an unaware Jos Buttler had wandered out of his crease and Ashwin sneakily knocked the bails off to dismiss the non-striker, who looked like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

Now, after the hue and cry around the incident, Jos Buttler has broken his silence on the incident.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Jos Buttler said, “At the time, I was ­really disappointed with it. I didn’t like the style of it.”

He continued, “What was more disappointing is that suddenly over the next two games I found myself being really conscious of it and it is quite distracting. That is why it was nice to get some runs in the win and get back to thinking about ­batting and not worrying about how I back up at the non-­striker’s end. I think if you look at the footage, probably the wrong decision was made because at the time he was expected to release the ball I was in my crease.”

Jos Buttler alluded to an earlier instance of a Mankad when he admitted, “I didn’t like what happened and I didn’t agree with it, but what can you do? I must be the only person to get out twice in that way as well! I’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Jos Buttler hoped that ­players would play the game hard and competitive, but play fair. He firmly believes that, cricketers must act as role models for young kids and professional people. So, such an act, as performed by Ashwin, tarnishes the game.