PCB mulling over law to ban bowlers having suspect actions
By Waheed Khan
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating introducing a new law that will immediately result in a ban on bowlers identified as having suspect bowling actions on the domestic circuit.
‘The News’ has learnt that during the review committee meeting of regional domestic cricket held in Karachi on Tuesday the issue of bowlers with illegal actions came under intense discussion.
“Chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan and the Director Cricket Operations Saleem Altaf told the participants that the Board was very worried about this issue as 29 bowlers had been reported for having suspect bowling actions during the last domestic season and belonged to different teams,” a PCB source said.
“The number of 29 is unusually high on the domestic circuit and the Board is working on a proposal to introduce a regulation next season under which bowlers reported for having suspect actions will immediately be banned from taking part further in domestic cricket and will be given a period of one or two months to improve their actions,” the source disclosed.
Pakistan has faced a lot of embarrassment at the international level as number of their bowlers, in the last six years, have been reported by the ICC match officials for their bowling actions.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has thrice been reported for his bowling action before being cleared on medical grounds. Similarly, Shabbir Ahmed, who is presently serving a 12-month ban for having an illegal action and Shoaib Malik have also been reported thrice each.
Shabbir and Malik were reported twice last year while Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi have also had their actions reported.
Even at the junior level Pakistani players have been reported amongst them budding all-rounders Riaz Afridi and Junaid Zia and off-spinner Tariq Mahmood.
The source said another important issue discussed in the meeting was the possibility of fielding a Pakistan reserves side in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy next season that starts from August this year.
“Altaf outlined this plan and pointed out that many associations were unable to accommodate all their best players and it would not be a bad idea to have a Pakistan reserves team picked by the Board as this would allow more players specially those knocking on the doors of international cricket to show their talent.”
However, many of the participants of the meeting pointed out that this experiment had been tried before without any considerable success. It was decided to discuss its pros and cons later and take a decision before the commencement of the season.
The participants also felt that to raise umpiring standards efforts should be made to induct more former Test players into the umpiring field and they should also be given additional benefits and incentives to attract them to this profession.
The Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) Secretary Siraj-ul-Islam Bukhari expressed his reservations over continuing with the system of the Board nominating a chief selector and two local selectors who, along with the nominated coach and a local representative (s), picked the considered regional teams for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and other tournaments.
Bukhari felt the job of selecting teams should be the domain of the local associations, as they knew better which player deserved to be in the side.
Source: The News International: Latest News Breaking, World, Entertainment, Royal News
