The KKR coach Brendon McCullum asked an interesting question to his Twitter followers last night that a bowler is penalised every time he oversteps, but what about a batsman backing up too much at the non-striker end and leaving the crease even before the ball comes out of the bowler’s end.
Brendon McCullum came up with a suggestion if a bowler oversteps and on the same delivery, it is found that the non-striker was backing up too much as well and was out of his crease before the ball was delivered, then rather than declaring it a no-ball, the on-field umpire should declare it a dead ball and whatever runs the batting team might have got on that ball would be nullified. In that way, the batsman will also be penalised for backing up too much.
Dinesh Karthik misread Brendon McCullum’s tweet initially
The former KKR captain Dinesh Karthik responded to Brendon McCullum’s question and asked why the bowler should be penalised for the non-striker’s fault of backing up too much. Karthik said whatever the fielding team gets in their favour on that ball should stand, while whatever the batting team gets should be nullified.
But, Karthik missed a very important part of Brendon McCullum’s tweet. McCullum, in his tweet, had already said the bowler had overstepped, which meant the bowler was going to be penalised anyway. It was just a question of penalising the batsman from thereon.
McCullum had a bit of a chuckle at Karthik’s response as he told him it’s alright if he misread his tweet because he has two babies at home right now and they might have taken his attention away. Karthik and his wife Dipika Pallikal have recently welcomed twin baby boys.
Baz, what if there is a wicket of that ball.why should the bowler be penalised for a non striker mistake 🙎🏻
I think everything the bowling team does of that ball is legal. And if any runs scored, it's nullified.
— DK (@DineshKarthik) October 31, 2021
Karthik himself also wrote in that thread later that he indeed misread McCullum’s tweet, but he said just like a batsman gets a free hit if a bowler oversteps, the bowler should also have a free ball if the non-striker backs up too much.
Oh no,I read that wrong . If he oversteps,you're bang on there baz ,perfect to call it a dead ball .What about the FREE BALL idea I've given when the bowler doesn't overstep and non striker is Out of the crease.
Like FREE HIT for batting team,opposite for bowling team #FREEBALL
— DK (@DineshKarthik) October 31, 2021
