There's no real right or wrong: Dravid on Mathews' 'timed-out' dismissal

Angelo Mathews’s timed-out dismissal has continued to be the talking point around the cricketing world with opinions divided. While many have slammed Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan for playing against the ‘Spirit of Cricket’, some have even come to the defence of the volatile all-rounder, saying there’s nothing wrong in following the rule book.

India coach Rahul Dravid, known for his gentlemanly behaviour on and off the field, was asked for his take on the controversial dismissal and like he did during his playing days, opted to present a straight bat. “We are all unique creatures and we have our own minds and our own thoughts. And the players will be the same. Each one of us will think differently about a particular situation. And there is no real right and wrong,” said Dravid.

“You can go and debate both the situations. You can debate whether we have to stick to the rules as they are. Or you have to sometimes give a little leeway for a little bit of spirit of cricket. And there'll be people on both sides of the camp. And I think just understanding that it's okay to have those differences is fine.

"It's fine to have those differences and some people might agree or not agree with certain decisions that were taken. Others will say no it's in the rules so I'm allowed to do it. When someone wants to take the letter of the rule law to the last nth degree, I don't think you can complain about it because honestly, he's just following the rules as he sees it.”