Why the hue and cry about issue?

Seventeen-year-old right-arm medium-pacer Keemo Paul will perhaps live with the stigma of having played the game in unsportsmanlike conduct. This is highly unfair on the young Guyanese who was well within the laws of cricket in an attempt to run out the non-striker before delivery.

'Mankaded Out' is often a debatable subject and is spoken in the same breath as 'sportsman's spirit'. The bowler who has used his intelligence to run the non-striker out before his delivery stride is often pulled up for not playing within the sportsman's spirit, as has been the latest instance involving Paul against Zimbabwe.

Here was an Under-19 World Cup quarterfinal berth at stake. A West Indies loss would have meant relegation to Plate Division for the Caribbeans. Paul, within the laws, dislodged the bail at the non-striker's end when Zimbabwe No. 11 Richard Ngarava attempted to back up with the African nation needing three to win off the last six deliveries.

Why is so much hue and cry made whenever a batsman is Mankaded out is difficult to fathom. Spirit of cricket is linked to Mankaded out. On the flipside, can the batting side take unfair advantage by backing up and be a few extra steps ahead to steal runs? As it is, the limited-overs cricket is heavily loaded in favour of the batsmen. Why further criticise the bowling side in the name of 'spirit of the game' when they play well within the letters of the law?

Often, we have seen and heard about how the bowler should warn the non-striker before Mankading him out. He is not required to do so within the laws of the game. Yet, bowlers have cautioned the batsmen before Mankading them out. Still, they are on the wrong. How unfair can it get on the bowlers.

In the latest instance at Chittagong, Paul dislodged the bail without warning. Fair enough. Zimbabwe will only curse their luck, having come within a hit of entering the quarterfinal. But then, anything could have happened. Striker Kundai Matigimu, the No. 9 batsman, may even have been out in his anxiety to score the winning runs.

Just when former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop said on air: "Can Keemo Paul get one wicket, one wicket that would matter," at the start of the 50th over, the bowler obliged in this unusual but well-within-the-law manner.

The only way to end the 'Mankaded out' debate is to scrap Law 42.15 (Bowler attempting to run out non-striker before delivery) under 'Fair and Unfair Play' and the umpire call 'dead ball' when he notices the non-striker backing up before the ball is delivered.

But then, what's cricket without such debates and controversies?