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| Saturday, 24 April 2004 |
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Playing it by the numbers Saadi Thawfeeq The International Cricket Council (ICC) as the world governing body for cricket has the right to set rules and uphold it. Otherwise the game will have no direction and no bearing. By confirming that they are not going to increase the tolerance level for spinners from the present five degrees angle to that of ten degrees as suggested by its own approved bio-mechanist expert Bruce Elliott, the ICC has in a subtle way told Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan that his new delivery 'the doosra' is not acceptable, at present. They have also said that the future of whether Muralitharan bowls the illegal delivery or not rested with the bowler's own Cricket Board - Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) because the issue was currently at Stage One. "Any decision or action arising from the report will be the responsibility of Sri Lanka Cricket" the ICC stated. The SLC we understand has told Muralitharan not to bowl the 'doosra'. To bowl it will expose Muralitharan to being reported a second time (although not until six weeks has elapsed from the first report), and put him at risk for a 12-month ban. Now that the ICC has said that it is not going to raise the present tolerance levels of five degrees for spinners and 10 degrees for fast bowlers, Muralitharan effectively cannot bowl the 'doosra'. But Muralitharan is not the only bowler who bowls that particular delivery. Off-spinners Harbajan Singh of India and Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan also bowl it. So isn't it fair by Muralitharan for the ICC to have the other bowlers also tested and analysed? The ICC is hiding behind the fact that all countries accepted the present tolerance levels for fast bowlers and spinners. With so much development taking place in technology at all levels, how can the ICC disregard the views put forward by one of it's own bio-mechanist who conducted tests on Muralitharan's new delivery? Elliott's conclusion that the present levels of tolerance are insufficient for fast bowlers and spinners came after the tests he had conducted on Muralitharan. So these are new facts emerging on tolerance levels for bowlers. Elliott has questioned the validity of the tolerance figures of 10 degrees, 7.5 degrees and 5 degrees for bowlers ranging from fast to spin and asked on what information, studies and research it was based on. "These current levels of tolerance are based on expert advice that suggests beyond a certain level, bowlers will gain an unfair advantage," says the ICC. It would be pertinent if the ICC told Elliott whom they obtained these 'expert advice' from. The fact that initial tests done on Muralitharan revealed that he straightened his arm by an average measure of 14 degrees tantamount to an illegal delivery and justifies Chris Broad reporting the 'doosra' to the ICC. Had Muralitharan's delivery been reported by a match referee other than Broad, there wouldn't have been such a hullabaloo created over it. The May 2004 issue of 'The WisdenCricketer' says: "Had match referees been on the prowl during Broad's eventful Test career, his match fees would have taken more dents than a boy racer's car. "Few were able to resist clich,s about poachers and gamekeepers when it was announced early this year that Broad, now 46, had been appointed one of the ICC's elite match referees. "Here was a player who famously demolished his stumps in the Bicentennial Test at Sydney after being bowled for 139 in 1987-88; who refused to leave the crease after a shocking caught-behind decision off Abdul Qadir's bowling during England's rancorous series with Pakistan in 1987-88; was caught by a TV close-up mouthing off when an lbw decision went against him in one of his last Test matches at Lord's and joined Mike Gatting's band of rebels on their ill-fated tour of South Africa in 1989-90. "One could argue his reporting of Murali is in keeping with a forthright character who has never shirked from expressing an opinion. That he has stirred up such a hornet's nest after only five Tests in the referee's role should not come as a surprise. It is merely further proof that Broad is not a man to be cowed down by controversy." That it should come at a time when Muralitharan is inching his way towards West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 Test wickets has left the door open to many questions. Muralitharan is in the hunt with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne to break Walsh's record. Both legendary spinners made their Test debuts in 1992 when West Indies were still on top of the world and relentless quick bowlers were the top predators. The arrival of Warne and Murali helped to rejuvenate the game and revive spin bowling, which was then a dying breed. The ICC must understand that there are some parts of greatness that you cannot put a number on. |
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