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Manjrekar felt Virat Kohli was to blame for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket and had a very heated argument with Irfan Pathan over it.
Sanjay Manjrekar (L) and Irfan Pathan.
Former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Irfan Pathan had a heated argument over Yashasvi Jaiswal’s horrific run-out during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. While Pathan felt Jaiswal was wrong to call for a run after hitting the ball crisply to mid-on, Manjrekar insisted Kohli made a ‘schoolboy error’ in looking at the ball, instead of his partner.
The incident happened after the end of the second day’s play. Manjrekar, who was speaking virtually from India with his 3d image placed alongside Pathan’s live pictures from Melbourne, seemed particularly incensed by the former pacer’s opinions. The Mumbaikar felt he wasn’t being allowed to speak and said ‘Aap he boliye’ (You only speak) to Pathan, who wasn’t too impressed either.
Watch a video of their argument here:
Before the argument, Manjrekar had explained how it was a ‘primary school’ rule in cricket that the non-striker should always watch his partner when deciding for a run. He said Jaiswal was running to the non-striker’s end and Kohli’s error of judgment made the opener ‘sacrifice his wicket’.
He also felt that Kohli’s apparent suggestion that he didn’t hear Jaiswal’s call was also wrong, saying the former Indian captain clearly saw his partner running towards him but still denied the run. He added that both players wanted to retain the strike for the next over which, likely to be bowled by part-timer Mitchell Marsh.
“Just because it’s Virat Kohli, we are thinking too much from his point of view. It was a very school [boy] error that he looked behind and decided there was no single there. It’s not the non-striker’s call to make. If it was Jaiswal’s bad call, the fielder Pat Cummins would have thrown it at non-striker’s end. But because Kohli said no, Jaiswal had no chance,” Manjrekar argued on Star Sports.
“Cricket’s truth is that when a ball goes to point, it’s the non-striker’s call but the striker can also say no,” Pathan replied.
Manjrekar felt it was the ‘wrong example’ to give.
“Irfan that’s about point, we are talking about the ball going behind [the non-striker]” he said.
As Pathan spoke further, Manjrekar said: “Ok, if you don’t want to let me speak, it’s fine.”
Manjrekar ended with a sarcastic swipe at Pathan, saying, “There should be a change to the coaching manual. Ifran Pathan’s new interpretation of running between the wickets should be included in it. A non-striker should also see if there’s a run or not even when the ball is behind him!”
- Location :
Melbourne, Australia
