AUSTRALIA cricket star Adam Zampa was left thoroughly embarrassed after FAILING a Mankad attempt during a Big Bash League game on Tuesday.

Zampa’s Melbourne Stars, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, had the Melbourne Renegades on 139-7 with two balls of their 20 overs remaining.

But controversy ensued on the penultimate delivery as 30-year-old spin bowler Zampa took the stumps off at the non-striker’s end when batsman Tom Rogers had walked out of his crease.

Melbourne Stars celebrated the wicket, but those jubilant scenes were short-lived.

The umpires were able to watch replays of the incident and determined that Zampa had completed his action without letting go of the ball.

This is not allowed when attempting a Mankad – which is defined as a run out of the non-striker by the bowler before bowling the ball if the non-striker leaves his crease too early.

And the crowd at the MCG – who were mostly cheering for the Stars – promptly booed the attempt from their own player, Zampa.

The Renegades won the match after reducing the Stars to 108/9 as Rogers took three wickets.

Afterwards, former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin defended Zampa by insisting he must have warned Rogers before the Mankad attempt.

He said: “I reckon Zampa was dirty from the ball before when Rogers got in and out and got Harvey on strike.

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“I didn’t think we were gonna see it [an attempted Mankad in the BBL] to be honest.”

But Aussie legend Brett Lee was less than impressed with Zampa and feels it is time the sport got rid of the Mankad rule.

He said: “If he [Zampa] goes past where he’s meant to let go of the ball there it’s deemed you can’t actually Mankad the batsman.

“I don’t like that rule, I don’t like the Mankad rule whatsoever, I reckon they should take it out of their hands.

“The best way to do it is to say to the batsman, if you leave your crease, you get docked five runs.

“Take it away from the bowler. I just don’t like seeing that in the game of cricket.”