Former England opener, coach and umpire David Lloyd believes the current law around Mankads is "too ambiguous" and needs to be changed following the controversial ending to the final ODI between England and India.
India won the game by 16 runs after Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean at the non-strikers end, a dismissal that has become known as a Mankad. Dean was left in tears and many within cricket were critical of India and Sharma, believing Mankading to be against the spirit of the game.
Lloyd, who stood as a first-class umpire between 1985 and 1987, said Dean was "incredibly dozy" for leaving her crease and "can have no complaints". However, he believes the law needs to be tweaked slightly in order to "avoid the furore that occurs every time someone is dismissed in this way".
In a column for the Daily Mail, Lloyd wrote: "If the law was clarified, we'd avoid the furore that occurs every time someone is dismissed in this way — and let's be honest, it's happening more and more. I'd make two changes.
"First, I'd make it obligatory for a bowler to warn a batter first. That way, everyone understands what's going on. And if the batter ignores the warning, then he or she is fair game.
"It's a bit like a warning for running on the pitch. Second, I'd tighten up the wording of the law. As it stands, the batter has to stay in the crease until the moment the bowler 'is expected to release the ball'.
"For me, that's too ambiguous. What we need is a physical description of that moment. It could be when the back foot lands, or when the arm reaches its highest point. Whatever it is, we need something more concrete than what we currently have."
The MCC, who are the custodians of the laws of cricket, issued a statement on Dean's dismissal. "MCC's message to non-strikers continues to be to remain in their ground until they have seen the ball leave the bowler's hand," it read.
"Then dismissals, such as the one seen [on Saturday], cannot happen. Whilst yesterday was indeed an unusual end to an exciting match, it was properly officiated and should not be considered as anything more."
