Deepti was never thinking about bowling that ball: England pacer James Anderson on Charlie Dean run-out

England fast bowler James Anderson said he doesn't feel running a batter out at the non-striker's end is a 'legitimate dismissal' irrespective of the fact that he or she is trying to back up too far or not before the ball is delivered. The debate over the mode of dismissal has intensified ever since Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma ran England batter Charlie Dean out at the non-striker's end in an ODI game between the two sides last month.

With England needing 17 runs to win in the third and final ODI of the three-match series, Dean was run out at the non-striker's end by Deepti in the 44th over. India won the game by 16 runs to pull off their first ODI series whitewash on English soil. However, the dismissal ended up triggering a massive debate as 'spirit of cricket' was once again brought up by many.

Anderson, who had criticised Deepti and the Indian women's team at the time, has now opened up on the entire debate and said despite it being in the rules of the game and considered a legitimate mode of run-out now, he would never consider running a batter out at the non-striker's end while delivering a ball.

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"Well, you know what? I thought, I knew we were going to talk about this today. So, on the train, on the way down, I thought 'right, I'm going to just get my thoughts together and try and eloquently lay my views out for everyone'. Within 30 seconds of thinking about it, I was fuming. It just infuriates me those people, I mean it infuriates me just because I think it's because I've been brought up, you know, in teams where we just wouldn't even consider doing something like that. And yes, it's in the laws of the game right now and they have obviously changed it so it's now a run-out," Anderson said on BBC's Tailenders Podcast.

"I think now I really hope that players stay in their crease, just don't give people the option of doing it. I feel so much for Charlie Dean because she got herself in a position where she could have possibly won the game for England. She managed the game situation brilliantly, I don't think she was trying to steal a run, she just drifted and that is a natural thing for the batter to do, to walk along with the bowler," he went on.

England's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket then went on to claim that Deepti was never looking to bowl that particular delivery and her eyes were set on running Dean out. Anderson said he won't consider it a 'legitimate' mode of dismissal as there is no skill involved.

"The issue for me was that Deepti was never thinking about bowling that ball. She was watching Charlie Dean the whole way and the moment she stepped out; she ran her out. That is what frustrates me about that dismissal. There has been a chat about giving warnings and the England camp talked about how there were no warnings. I don't see it as a legitimate dismissal when I play cricket. Where is the skill in that? It is just a sneaky way of getting someone out, I do not like it," said the England pacer.

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When asked what could be the possible solutions to ensure the batters do not take advantage by backing up too far out of the crease at the non-striker's end, Anderson said the team can be penalised runs but the batter should not be dismissed.

"I don't think batters should go down the pitch when the ball has not even delivered, but I don't think it should be a dismissal, there should be a warning or there can be penalty runs. That would be a better solution to it, just give them couple of warnings," said Anderson.