The Mankad: a ruthless approach is required to win at international level

‘Mankading’ has yesterday staked its claim for entry into the OED. A word that until 24 hours ago was surely only used and understood by a small minority of cricket buffs is now on the tip of the tongue of every cricket fan, following Sachithra Senanayake’s dismissal of Jos Buttler by running him out at the non-striker’s end in the ODI series decider between Sri Lanka and England. Senanayake’s decision to do this, and his captain’s decision to uphold the appeal, has sparked controversy and divided the pundits, with several former England players taking to Twitter to vocalise their views. But in all honesty, I’m struggling to see what the controversy is about.