Skipper Steve Waugh led an Australian condemnation of Shoaib Akhtar’s reprieve from a “chucking” ban, claiming that players had lost faith in the game’s governing body.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) overruled its own throwing panel on Saturday, allowing the Pakistani fast bowler to take part in the one-day triangular-series against Australia and India.
ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya of India ruled that Shoaib should be allowed to play because bouncers were “no-balled” in one-day matches, effectively negating his problem with illegal deliveries.
“It has not been handled that well,” Waugh said a day after Shoaib inspired Pakistan’s 45-run win over the hosts by taking three wickets.
“The players have not got a lot of confidence in what is happening. I think everybody is confused about it. One week he can’t bowl and the next week he can.”
Bob Simpson, the former Australian coach and a member of the throwing panel, admitted he was “shocked and disappointed by the decision.”
“The view of the panel was that it wasn’t just the bouncer, it was also his faster delivery, and it was unanimously agreed that his action needed remedial work.”
Shoaib’s action was first reported during the third Test against Australia in Perth in November, but the ICC panel took almost a month before finally ruling his action was illegal.
By that time, Shoaib had returned to Pakistan and then come back to Australia for the one-day series, leaving Pakistan seething at the timing of the decision.