Deter batsmen from backing up - ICC cricket committee

A few days after Jos Buttler became the first batsman to be mankaded in international cricket since 1992, the ICC's cricket committee has recommended non-strikers need to be "deterred" from backing up. The committee also supported the view, expressed by certain international captains, that there was no need for the on-field umpire to check with the fielding captain if his team's appeal stood in case the non-striker was mankaded.

"The cricket committee believes that a non-striker should be deterred from leaving his or her crease before the time the bowler normally delivers the ball," the committee's statement said. "It did not support a formal warning being introduced prior to a bowler being eligible to run out a non-striker, but it did support the view expressed by some captains that the umpires shouldn't ask the captain whether he wanted the appeal to stand before making a final decision. The law strikes a sensible balance between preventing a batsman from gaining an advantage, whilst at the same time preventing the bowler from unfairly seducing the batsman into leaving his crease by faking to deliver and then holding on to the ball."

The recent incident of mankading took place during the series decider between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. In the 42nd over of England's innings, offspinner Sachithra Senanayake warned both Buttler and Chris Jordan for backing up too far. He followed up on his threat in his next over, mankading Buttler, who was nearly a yard out of his crease. The umpires declared Buttler out after Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews upheld the bowler's appeal.

The incident escalated immediately after, when England captain Alastair Cook expressed his disappointment and suggested Sri Lanka had "crossed a line". According to Mahela Jayawardene, Buttler had been backing up too much despite two warnings, leaving Senanayake with no choice but to run him out.