New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) After all the debate over Kings XI Punjab skipper R Ashwin’s decision to ‘Mankad’ Rajasthan Royal batsman Jos Buttler on Monday, Royals brand ambassador Shane Warne asked his fans on Twitter if they would accept English all-rounder Ben Stokes doing the same to India skipper Virat Kohli.

While fans have started debating it, Stokes made it clear he would never do anything like this.

“Hopefully I’m playing in the World Cup final and if @imVkohli is batting when I’m bowling I would never ever ever ever ever ever…..just clarifying to the mentions I’ve received ?? #hallabol,” he wrote on Twitter.

The issue has snowballed and even the BCCI has said as captain Ashwin should have maintained the decorum.

“The match officials have failed in their duty to handle this issue. Buttler ought to have been adjudged not out if the laws were applied squarely to the situation. Ashwin also must understand that laws and the spirit of the game have to be kept in mind.

“A player is supposed to deceive the other with his cricketing skills and not with shady skills. If the batsman is taking advantage, deal with it in the right way — as a gentleman. Competitiveness is all very well, but a standard of decorum ought to be maintained,” a board official told IANS.

Former India spinner Erapalli Prasanna also pulled Ashwin up for his act and said the captain terming the action as ‘instinctive’ wasn’t true.

“He is feeling guilty and he is trying to cover up. I don’t think he is clear to himself. He is bluffing. He is not telling the truth,” Prasanna told IANS.

“I (Ashwin) did it in the heat of the moment, all these things does not apply. Even a school cricketer knows, a batsman has to be cautioned. It has to be fair play. Most important point is, such an action is taken after cautioning the non-striker, telling him that he is leaving the crease much before the ball is delivered,” Prasanna said.

Warne accuses Bhogle of ‘bias’ after ‘Mankad’ fiasco

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) A livid Rajasthan Royals brand ambassador Shane Warne has accused India commentator Harsha Bhogle of being biased on social media after the analyst said that there was no reason for Kings XI Punjab skipper R Ashwin to warn Royals batsman Jos Buttler.

Taking to Twitter, Bhogle had written: “Nothing in the laws though about warning. Just as there is nothing in the laws about a wicket keeper warning a batsman for being out of the crease and not stumping him.”

To this Warne wrote: “Harsha you are missing the point completely & I’m disappointed in you as you always push the spirit of the game – now you condone this behaviour? Ashwin’s actions were simply disgraceful, and I hope the BCCI doesn’t condone this sort of behaviour in the #IPL ! #spiritofthegame.”

Bhogle also said that it was important to focus on the game and not just the dismissal of Buttler. “By the way, there was a match too and there were some fantastic performances from Gayle and Buttler, Ashwin and Archer and Sarfaraz. Don’t bury that,” he wrote.

To which, Warne asked the commentator not to be biased. “Harsha, if that had of been an international player you would have nailed him ! Please do not be biased & stick up for your own. Any player in the game that does that to anyone is an embarrassment to the game & as captain it’s even more disgraceful ! #spiritofthegame!”

Interestingly, former India spinner Erapalli Prasanna too felt that it was unfair on Ashwin’s part to ‘Mankad’ Buttler without informing him.

He is feeling guilty and he is trying to cover up. I don’t think he is clear to himself. He is bluffing. He is not telling the truth,” Prasanna told IANS.

“I (Ashwin) did it in the heat of the moment, all these things does not apply. Even a school cricketer knows, a batsman has to be cautioned. It has to be fair play,” he said.

“Most important point is, such an action is taken after cautioning the non-striker, telling him that he is leaving the crease much before the ball is delivered,” he added.

Ashwin is guilty, not telling the truth: Prasanna

Kolkata, March 26 (IANS) Rubbishing R. Ashwin’s statement that he ‘Mankaded’ Jos Buttler “instinctively”, Indian spin great Erapalli Prasanna on Tuesday said the India Test off-spinner is lying and should have cautioned the batsman.

“He is feeling guilty and he is trying to cover up. I don’t think he is clear to himself. He is bluffing. He is not telling the truth,” Prasanna told IANS.

Kings XI Punjab skipper Ashwin ran Rajasthan Royals and England batsman Buttler out in the 13th over when he was looking good at 69 off 43 balls in the company of Sanju Samson with the scoreboard reading 108/2.

Ashwin stopped after entering his delivery stride seeing Buttler slip out of his crease, turned around and broke the stumps at the non-strikers’ end.

The decision was sent up to the third umpire, who didn’t need much time to send a livid Buttler on his way. This was the first time in IPL history that a batsman was “Mankaded”.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ashwin said of the incident: “Look, it was very instinctive. On my part, it was very instinctive. It was not planned or anything like that. It’s there within the rules of the game. I don’t understand where the spirit of the game comes, naturally if it’s there in the rules it’s there.”

Slamming Ashwin further, Prasanna said even a schoolboy knows he has to warn the non-striker before doing such a thing.

“I (Ashwin) did it in the heat of the moment, all these things does not apply. Even a school cricketer knows, a batsman has to be cautioned. It has to be fair play.

“Most important point is, such an action is taken after cautioning the non-striker, telling him that he is leaving the crease much before the ball is delivered.”

Prasanna, who played 49 Tests for India taking 189 wickets, went on to say that Ashwin took undue advantage of the 22 yards and is feeling guilty now going by his statements.

“If he has made a statement like this, that he did it impulsively, that means he is not playing the game fair and square.

“Whether he is playing within the laws of the game, or not, he has to caution the non-striker. He is taking undue advantage of the 22 yards.

“It’s a gentleman’s game where you caution a player. Before DRS, many players have taken a catch on the second bounce and even if the umpire missed it, they would be fair in calling it not out,” he concluded.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that the captain should have maintained decorum and that even the match officials failed in their duty.

Rajasthan Royals brand ambassador and legend Shane Warne also expressed his displeasure, saying the dismissal was against the spirit of the game.