Ever since he failed to walk after edging Ashton Agar to slip at Trent Bridge in the 2013 Ashes, Stuart Broad has been regarded by most Australians as being prepared to push the boundaries of cricket's spirit.

Never mind that the ball went into Michael Clarke's hands via Brad Haddin's gloves and few Test batsmen walked before DRS arrived, especially not in an Ashes Test. Broad was clearly a "cheating Pom".

So there might be surprise over the veteran bowler's statement that, even though MCC has ruled the Mankad is not "unfair play", he will not indulge in it.

The Mankad — which is named, much to his family's annoyance, after former Indian spinning all-rounder Vinoo Mankad — occurs when a bowler interrupts their delivery stride to run out the non-striker if that batter is out of their crease.

It has been seen more frequently with the growth of 20-over cricket as batsmen take on increasingly tight runs.

In the IPL in 2019 there was much controversy when Ravi Ashwin Mankaded Jos Buttler. Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan both condemned him.

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Last month a double-Mankad in a Victorian second-grade match between Kingston Hawthorn and Casey South Melbourne drew Ashwin's support amid criticism of the bowler.

However, under a new set of laws announced by the MCC on Tuesday, which will take effect in October, Mankad dismissals will no longer be considered unfair play.

Fraser Stewart, MCC laws manager, explained: "The bowler is always painted as the villain but it is a legitimate way to dismiss someone and it is the non-striker who is stealing the ground. It is legitimate, it is a run-out and therefore it should live in the run-out section of the laws."

Broad, Test cricket's sixth-most-successful bowler, with 537 wickets, wrote on Twitter: "So the Mankad is no longer unfair & is now a legitimate dismissal.

"Hasn't it always been a legitimate dismissal & whether it is unfair is subjective?

When Twitter users responded to his posts, asking what the difference was between Mankads and run-outs, Broad replied: "Imo run out is a skill. Hearing someone run, sprinting full pace to pick up the ball & deciding which end to throw it in a split second & aiming your throw close to the stumps to run out."

But former England captain Michael Atherton said: "I've always thought it's totally unfair for the stigma to be on the bowler when it's the batter who is stealing ground, so I agree with the law change.

Ironically, when Mankad first dismissed Aussie great Bill Brown this way in successive Tests in 1947-48 coverage supported the Indian.

"Mankad was over-generous in not having run him out [the first time]," wrote Arthur Mailey.

"Mankad was quite entitled to do what he did and showed plenty of strength of character," wrote Bill O'Reilly.

Brown himself later apologised to Mankad for the controversy saying: "He taught me to smarten myself up."

AAP