‘Mankading’ backlash made Keemo Paul cry

WEST INDIES international Keemo Paul said a wicket via "mankading" just isn't worth the backlash any more and it's not something he'll do in the future. Speaking with ESPN, Paul said even though he thinks non-strike batsmen are wrong for advancing when the bowler is in delivery stride, he won't run out an opponent in that fashion again. He said bowlers now are severely chastised in the wake of such incidents. The Guyanese pacer gained notoriety at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup after running out Zimbabwe's Richard Ngarava without delivering the ball in the last over of an exciting but controversial win.

Paul, playing with the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League three years later, was questioned after Kings XI Punjab off-spinner Ravi Ashwin did the same to Jos Buttler, only to garner international criticism about whether it was in the spirit of the game. Paul said back then he had to "follow the rules," but now public opinion has definitely skewed his thoughts on the matter.

"In my heart I definitely believe it is right, but because of the how the game is today and because of the criticism you face, it is tough. I probably wouldn't do it again," he confessed.

That victory against Zimbabwe sent the Windies through to the knockout phase and they eventually won the U-19 tournament, but Paul revealed he endured mental torture after.

He said, "At first, it was definitely tough. I just locked myself away. I saw it on BBC, I read a lot of comments on social media – I took it hard. I cried a lot and wondered if I did the right thing, but my coaching staff and everyone else supported me very well."

He added, "After I did it, after seeing all the comments, I was definitely devastated you know. But after the coaches supported me a lot, especially Corey Collymore, he came to me and said, 'Don't worry, it is in the rules and you don't have to worry.' That's when I started to gain confidence again. After reading all the comments and stuff, I just wanted to lock myself away and forget about it."

Paul, 17 at the time, did bounce back thanks to the support of his team-mate Shimron Hetmyer, as well as the likes of Ian Bishop and Tino Best. He said when he returned to play in Zimbabwe, he received a lot of banter from the crowd but knew how to take it in stride.

"Definitely I believed what I did was right. I was only 17, I came down hard on myself, kept wondering if I did the right thing. That was just instinct. Now I have matured more and I don't think I will probably do it again," he concluded.