The debate over running the non-striker out for backing up too far has intensified ever since Deepti Sharma dismissed England’s Charlie Dean in that fashion to seal India’s 3-0 ODI series win at Lord’s. England players, both current and former, as well as other experts in the British media have been very vocal in their criticism of the mode of dismissal, invoking ‘the spirit of cricket’, even though the MCC – the custodians of the laws of the game – has been firm in supporting it as a legitimate mode of dismissal.

Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle took to Twitter on Friday to criticise English media over their take on the incident.

Bhogle wrote a long thread outlining his views.

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

“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,” he wrote.

“That includes reasonable people & I think 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 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,” he wrote in his strongly worded thread.

“The rest of the world is no longer obligated 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,” he went on to write.

“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 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,” he wrote.

“We come hard too 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,” Bhogle wrote.

“The law says the non-striker must be behind the crease till the bowler’s arm is at its highest point. If you obey that, the game will move along smoothly,” he reiterated.

Promoted

“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, stop believing that the world must move at their bidding. As in society, where judges implement the law of the land, so too in cricket,” Bhogle added.

“But I remain disturbed by the vitriol directed towards Deepti. She played by the laws of the game and criticism of what she did must stop,” he concluded.