Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has confirmed that Ravichandran Ashwin can join the India team anytime and bowl as per the cricketing rules in the third Test match against England. Ashwin, who recently joined the 500-wickets club in Test cricket, left Rajkot for Chennai to attend to a family emergency after taking the wicket of England opener Zak Crawley on Friday. Even though it seems doubtful at this point, Karthik disclosed that match authorities have informed the Indian team management that Ashwin can bowl “anytime” if he returns for the Test match.
“Ravi Ashwin can come anytime during this Test Match and bowl straightaway. The umpires have given Ashwin that favor,” said Karthik on air. The regulations dictate that a player stepping off the field must wait for an equivalent period before resuming play. However, the umpires have deemed Ashwin’s case unique and have granted him departure from the conventional rules.
According to MCC Rules, a player’s unserved Penalty time shall be limited to a maximum of 90 minutes. If the player leaves the field before having served all of his/her Penalty time, the balance is carried forward as unserved Penalty time. The player shall not bowl until all of his/her Penalty time has been served. On any occasion of absence, the amount of Playing time for which the player is off the field shall be added to any Penalty time that remains unserved, subject to 24.2.3. If there is an unscheduled break in play, the stoppage time shall count as Penalty time served.
This development brings a new level of flexibility and understanding from match authorities towards players dealing with unforeseen circumstances. This could potentially make way for more compassionate and practical approaches to be implemented going forward in the world of cricket.
In summary, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has confirmed that Ravichandran Ashwin can join the India team anytime and can bowl as per the cricketing rules in the third Test match against England, despite leaving the field for a family emergency after taking a wicket in the previous match. This development showcases a more understanding and flexible approach from match authorities towards unforeseen circumstances for players.
