Aussie plan puts heat on Shoaib
By Jon Pierik
December 6, 2004
THE controversial bowling action of Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar would face a fresh round of testing under a plan Cricket Australia will discuss tonight.
A new twist has emerged in cricket’s bid to outlaw chuckers with some CA directors to consider pushing for a 15-degree limit on hyper-extension.
While an International Cricket Council committee recently set a 15-degree flex in conventional arm bend, it has opted to not sanction a bowler who over-extends his arm the other way.
It’s understood the ICC’s reasoning for this is that some officials consider hyper-extension a physical abnormality rather than a deliberate attempt to throw.
This has surprised some CA board members, who will discuss at tonight’s meeting a suggestion to also insist on a 15-degree limit on hyper-extension as part of the chucking policy they want presented to the ICC in February.
If passed by the ICC, the law may place pressure on Shoaib, who was reported for throwing in 2001.
Shoaib, who will lead his country’s attack in this month’s Test series against Australia, was cleared after tests by former West Australian coach Daryl Foster found the “Rawalpindi Express” had “unique physical characteristics”.
“We analysed the action and decided he had unique physical characteristics - that he had hyper-mobility in both his shoulder and elbow joints,” Foster said at the time.
“This leads to a certain perception or illusion, that looks like he might be throwing.”
Shoaib was first accused of throwing during the 1999 tour of Australia.
CA directors are expected to endorse the ICC’s recommendation to allow bowlers to straighten their arm, from the elbow, by up to 15 degrees during the delivery process.
A final vote by CA will be made tonight or at its January meeting, with the ICC to make its ruling in February.
An expert panel of Aravinda de Silva, Angus Fraser, Michael Holding, Tony Lewis, Tim May and ICC general manager cricket David Richardson last month recommended a 15-degree arm flex be introduced.
This will replace the scaled levels in place that depending on whether the bowler is a spinner or medium pacer.
The proposed changes are sweeping and include:
AN INDEPENDENT panel and standardised testing to investigate any suspect action.
MEASURES to ensure laboratory tests replicate match conditions and a suspect bowler doesn’t deliberately modify his action in the lab.
The ICC doesn’t have the technology to properly analyse bowlers during matches and it has only four laboratories that can meet new requirements.
It will harshly penalise a bowler thought to be modifying his action for a test.
CA will also discuss a South Australian bid to rotate the first one-day international final each year among Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The MCG has held the match, but poor attendances and a lack of pre-match sales has given SA hope of snatching the game.
Herald Sun
Great timing. eh? That’s one of the things that sets Australia apart; it isn’t just the team that plays, it’s the board, the media, everyone. Although the ethics of this are debatable, it certainly works. Boy, Actor has got the Aussies’ number.