Remember that time when Kevin Pietersen danced down the pitch to Shane Warne and was stumped, and the umpire asked Ricky Ponting to withdraw the appeal? Of course you dont, because it didnt happen, and the very idea of it happening is absurd. Why, then, do umpires continue to pressure fielding captains to reconsider appeals for the so-called Mankad dismissal, the act of a bowler running out a non-striker who is backing up?How are the situations any different, really? In both cases the batsman is attempting to gain advantage, in one by reaching the pitch of the ball and negating spin, in the other by reducing the distance he must cover to complete a run. A wicketkeeper who stumps a batsman is lauded for his sharp work, yet an eagle-eyed bowler who mankads is usually condemned as unsporting.In 2011, the ICC made it easier for bowlers to effect such a dismissal. Previously the bowler had to take the bails off before entering his delivery stride. This is still the case under the MCCs Laws of Cricket, but the ICC adapted its playing conditions to allow the act before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing. It was a clear and deliberate move to keep batsmen accountable.But umpires have undermined the regulation by victimising bowlers who are only trying to stop batsmen sneaking an advantage. Consider these two recent examples.Last February in an ODI at the SCG, Lahiru Thirimanne continually left his crease far too early. R Ashwin warned Thirimanne and when the batsman kept doing it, Ashwin ran him out. Instead of raising his finger, the umpire, Paul Reiffel, consulted his square-leg colleague and asked Indias captain, Virender Sehwag, if he wanted to go through with the appeal.In doing so, Reiffel implicitly suggested Ashwins act of removing the bail was underhanded. It told the crowd India were borderline cheats, made Thirimanne think his behaviour was okay, and placed undue pressure on Sehwag, who ended up withdrawing a legitimate appeal. Thirimanne batted on, continued to back up unfairly, scored 62 and set up a Sri Lankan victory.Later in 2012, Surreys Murali Kartik mankaded Somersets Alex Barrow during a County Championship match. Like Ashwin, Kartik had warned the batsman, though he wasnt compelled to do so. Still, the umpire, Peter Hartley, wasnt happy. He asked the fielding captain, Gareth Batty, three times if he would withdraw the appeal. Rightly, Batty refused, and later Surrey were booed off the field.Reiffel and Hartley should simply have raised a finger, as they would for any other run-out, but instead they added to the ill-feeling by suggesting the bowler was in the wrong. The ICCs playing condition 42.11 explicitly states that a mankad is fair. An additional clause should be added to state that an umpire must not consult the fielding captain before making his decision, unless the conversation is instigated by the captain.Certainly a mankad is no less fair than when a strikers straight drive rockets through the bowlers hands and hits the stumps with the non-striker out of his ground. Of course, umpires rightly treat that as they do a regulation run-out. Just as they should with the mankad. Discount Saucony Shoes UK .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Cheap Saucony Shoes UK Outlet .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.wholesalesauconyuk.com/ . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Wholesale Saucony Shoes UK . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Cheap Saucony UK . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has named Tommy Seymour on the left wing in one of four changes to the Scottish team that will start against Argentina at Murrayfield on Saturday.Cotter hands a debut to back-row Magnus Bradbury, whose inclusion on the blindside flank sees John Barclay move to no. 8, with Hamish Watson returning to the openside and Ryan Wilson selected on the bench.Edinburgh Rugby lock Grant Gilchrist, who captained Scotland to victory over the Pumas in Cordoba two years ago, and Glasgow Warriors hooker Fraser Brown are promoted from the bench.The return of wing Tommy Seymour is the only change to the back division, meaning two-time try-scorer Huw Jones and centre partner Alex Dunbar, half-backs Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell, and Stuart Hogg and Sean Maitland are reinstated.Every week we want to improve, said Cotter. We did a lot of good things against Australia: we scored three tries to their two, we were aggressive in attack and our defence held strong for the most part.While its disappointing we didnt walk off with the win, Im proud of the ccourage the players showed and the way they adapted to changes on the paddock due to injuries.ddddddddddddSaturdays game is going to be a different challenge for us, both physically and mentally, against a very dangerous Argentina side.They have the capacity to vary their game so we have to be prepared for whatever approach they take, though we can expect them to look to dominate the set piece as a starting point, be very explosive around the rucks and look to get their offloading game up and running.We will have to be disciplined and make sure we capitalise on every opportunity we create.Scotland team to play JapanStuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Zander Ferguson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Magnus Bradbury, Hamish Watson, John Barclay.Replacements: Ross Ford, Alex Allan, Moray Low, Tim Swinson, Ryan Wilson, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Tim Visser. 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