AN UNCONVENTIONAL CRICKET COACH believes that the so-called “ball of the century” bowled by the late, great Shane Warne to England’s Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes was a “missed opportunity” and that it “should have been the (Graham) Gooch ball”
Failed domestic indoor cricketer, Dylan “Pup” Chappell, founder and head coach of the Mankademy, has spoken exclusively to Neds in a recent documentary about the controversial suburban cricket academy.
“We’ve got the Ashes coming up, and everyone’s going to talk about the Gatting ball, the ‘ball of the century…and I used to argue about this with Warnie, we didn’t see eye to eye on it, that it should have been the Gooch ball”
The late Shane Warne and Dylan “Pup” Chappell disagree on Mankadding back in the 1990s
In that infamous Test match at Old Trafford, Shane Warne delivered the “Ball of the Century” to dismiss Mike Gatting.
It was a sensational delivery that spun sharply, completely flummoxing Gatting and illustrating Warne’s extraordinary talent.
However, this incident often overshadows another intriguing opportunity for Warne to utilize the Mankad against Graham Gooch, who was known for backing up excessively according to “Pup” Chappell.
In the video, Chappell points to a picture of the Gatting ball, “As you can see, Graham Gooch…out of his crease”
“Warnie could have just come up and gone BANG! Mankad, out you go Gooch”
Named after the legendary Indian all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, the Mankad refers to the act of a bowler running out the non-striking batsman who leaves the crease before the ball is delivered.
While often frowned upon as unsporting behavior, it is a legitimate form of dismissal as per the laws of cricket.
“The Mankad serves as a strategic weapon for bowlers to enforce discipline among batsmen who gain an undue advantage by leaving their crease too early.” Pup Chappell told the Neds blog.
“Graham Gooch was notorious for backing up excessively, gaining an unfair head start.
By executing a Mankad on Gooch, Warne would have restored the balance between the batsman and the bowler, preventing the non-striking batsman from exploiting an advantage not granted by the laws of the game.”
The then England skipper Graham Gooch was asking for a Mankadding in 1993 according to Mankademy director Dylan “Pup” Chappel
Pup Chappell didn’t hold back, further adding
“Warne would have sent a strong message to all batsmen about respecting the sanctity of their crease.”
“While Warne’s “Ball of the Century” remains etched in cricketing folklore, it’s worth considering the alternative path he could have taken by Mankadding Graham Gooch.
That could have challenged conventional wisdom and sparked an important dialogue about the role of the Mankad in modern cricket.”
However, the man they call Pup put things into perspective
“The past is unchangeable, and we can only reflect on the missed opportunity”
Pup Chappell’s Mankademy is currently taking enrolments, with one student, Liam Butler, the standout at the Cricket school for whom they hope will make B-Grade in park cricket by year’s end.
The Mankademy not only teaches future Cricketers how to Mankad, but certain life skills and personality traits are needed to carry out one including dodging shouts, not thanking Uber drivers, and arguing with people on social media along with other vital skills.
The Mankademy documentary* can be seen on the NEDS YouTube Channel
(*Mockumentary)