Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the sport needs to use technology to deter batsmen from backing up before the bowler bowls a ball. In a series of posts on social media on Tuesday, the off-spinner explained how the game can often be unfair to bowlers.

Ashwin has been a vocal critic of of batsmen taking a few steps out of the crease at the non-striker’s end even before the bowler releases the ball. He made headlines last year during the Indian Premier League for running-out Jos Buttler after the Englishman backed-up too far at the bowler’s end.

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The 33-year-old has said that the laws need to change and technology needs to be introduced to stop batsmen from wandering out of the crease.

Here’s what Ashwin had to say:

“Just hope that technology will see if a batsmen is backing up before the bowler bowls a ball and disallow the runs of that ball every time the batter does so!!Thus, parity will be restored as far as the front line is concerned.

“Many of you will not be able to see the grave disaparity here, so let me take some time out to clarify to the best of my abilities. If the non striker backs up 2 feet and manages to come back for a 2, he will put the same batsmen on strike for the next ball.

Putting the same batsmen on strike might cost me a 4 or a 6 from the next ball and eventually cost me 7 more runs instead of may be a 1 and a dot ball possibility at a different batsmen. The same will mean massively for a batter wanting to get off strike even in a test match.

“It is time to restore the balance in what is an increasingly tough environement for the bowlers. #thefrontcrease #belongs to #bothparties @bhogleharsha we can use the same tech that we are proposing for a no ball check 120 balls in a T20 game.”

Also read – Enough is enough: Stop the outrage against ‘Mankading’ in cricket – it is just a run out

During a recent chat on The RK Show on YouTube, Ashwin reflected on the misconceptions people sometimes have about him and how he has always tried to stay true to his personality.

“People might think that I am arrogant because sometimes it’s not their way of life, it’s not their way of operating. I am too straight. A lot of people, in the last 10-11 years, have given me the feedback saying that you should try and be a little diplomatic because straight trees are cut first,” he said.

“But I chose to tread a path that I am comfortable with. When there is a question posed to me, I answer that question. I don’t see what answer will fit the brand value or what will make me more appealing to a brand.”