The Deepti Sharma episode at Lord’s on Saturday may have aroused outrage in England, but Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the administrators of the game’s rules and ethos, stated the umpires handled the ODI between the women’s teams of England and India with due care.

The MCC, which owns the Lord’s ground, said in a statement, “While yesterday was definitely an unconventional finale to an entertaining match, it was correctly officiated and should not be seen as anything more.”

The judgment by Deepti to run out Charlotte Dean for backing up excessively during her delivery stride gave India a thrilling 16-run victory and a 3-0 sweep of the ODI series, although current and former England players passionately questioned the decision’s spirit.

“Despite being allowed by the rules, I hope mankading is not frequently used. You don’t spend your entire life practicing to use that strategy to win a game. I am aware that batters should practice staying behind the line, but it still stings to see a game won in such a manner. It was a good game yesterday, “Michael Vaughan remarked on the dismissal as being run out by the ICC. Nasser Hussain, Sam Billings, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson were among the other English players and analysts who voiced similar criticism of the judgment.

However, the MCC emphasized to the batters their responsibilities. “MCC continues to advise non-strikers to stay in their area until they have observed the bowler release the ball. Dismissals like the one we saw yesterday would then be prohibited.” The MCC message, the official said, is that the discussion is multifaceted and encompasses more than just the bowler’s behavior.

“Cricket is a diverse sport, and this is also true of the way it is played. The MCC understands that the Spirit of Cricket is applied differently around the world because they are its stewards. Respectful discussion should continue because when one person perceives the bowler as violating the spirit of the game in such instances, another will point out that the non-striker is obtaining an unfair advantage by leaving their ground early.”

The spokesperson continued, “In order to transfer being run out at the non-end striker’s from Law 41 Unfair Play to Law 38 Run Out, the MCC this year announced changes to the Laws of Cricket. The new policy will formally go into force on October 1st, 2022. This was done to make things clearer and to give batters the responsibility of making sure they don’t go off the crease at the non-end striker’s before the bowler releases the ball. The Law is unambiguous, as it must be for all umpires to be able to understand it at all levels of play and at all times.”

The last wicket partnership had scored 35 runs, bringing England’s total from 118 to 153 before the batter was run out, and the Dean was seen in tears after the dismissal. England was aiming for 170.

In the post-game interview, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India, defended her bowler. “We haven’t done anything unique, it was just a part of the game. It is a requirement of the ICC, therefore you constantly run the risk. I believe it demonstrates your awareness. The actions of the batters are known to you. Because my player did nothing to break the rules, I will support her. After all, a win is a win, therefore you should just take pleasure in it.”