Veteran England pacer James Anderson has said that India women’s bowler Deepti Sharma was never looking to deliver that ball on which she ran out Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end to finish the third and final ODI against England women at Lord’s a month ago.
He further added that he doesn’t think that running out the non-striker when he or she is backing up too far ahead when the bowler has not even delivered the ball, is a "legitimate dismissal".
"Well, you know what? I thought I knew we were going to talk about this today. So, on the train, on the way down, I thought 'right, I'm going to just get my thoughts together and try and eloquently lay my views out for everyone. Within 30 seconds of thinking about it, I was fuming. It just infuriates me those people, I mean it infuriates me just because I think it's because I've been brought up, you know, in teams where we just wouldn't even consider doing something like that. And yes, it's in the laws of the game right now and they have obviously changed it so it's now a run-out," Anderson said on BBC's Tailenders Podcast.
Further talking about the issue, Anderson said: "I think now I really hope that players stay in their crease, just don't give people the option of doing it. I feel so much for Charlie Dean because she got herself in a position where she could have possibly won the game for England. She managed the game situation brilliantly, I don't think she was trying to steal a run, she just drifted and that is a natural thing for the batter to do, to walk along with the bowler."
"The issue for me was that Deepti was never thinking about bowling that ball. She was watching Charlie Dean the whole way and the moment she stepped out; she ran her out. That is what frustrates me about that dismissal. There has been a chat about giving warnings and the England camp talked about how there were no warnings. I don't see it as a legitimate dismissal when I play cricket. Where is the skill in that? It is just a sneaky way of getting someone out, I do not like it," he added.
The highest Test wicket-taker for England, Anderson said that batters should not be run out at the non-striker’s end for venturing out of the crease, though penalty runs can be imposed.
"I don't think batters should go down the pitch when the ball has not even delivered, but I don't think it should be a dismissal, there should be a warning or there can be penalty runs. That would be a better solution to it, just give them couple of warnings," said Anderson.
"Charlie Dean was in tears, the handshake from the Indian team, there was no compassion there. They did not even look her in the eye, if there was guilt about the dismissal, then don't do it then. India had won the series; it was not as if the series was on the line. It left a bitter taste for me, I don't know. It is not about being me an England player, if I was watching the match between two neutral teams, I still would not have liked it," he added.
