Michael Holding, the West Indies fast bowling legend, has said that political issues are preventing some bowlers being reported for suspected illegal bowling actions.
Holding, an influential and highly respected member of the ICC expert committee that helped develop the 15 degree levels of tolerance now used for international bowlers, told the April issue of Cricinfo Magazine that, “politics is preventing people from doing what they should” and that the way to tackle the problem of illegal actions was, “to get people in authority who have the backbone to do what is right, and not what is politically expedient.”
While endorsing the use of the 15 degree ruling and the detailed laboratory analysis of bowlers’ actions, Holding said there is a problem with the reporting of certain players. “Once you see something with the naked eye, you should be reporting it and having it assessed and measured properly. The difficulty is in the politics surrounding it, with people afraid to report certain players.”
Holding felt that the ability of umpires to interpret potentially flawed actions was further complicated by issues like hyper-extension and adduction, which can effectively create optical illusions. “That’s why there are problems,” he continued, “because the umpires will not call anybody on the field. I did something with Shoaib Akhtar at the end of the Test match in Karachi, when I compared him to RP Singh to show that both have hyperextension. When you look at Shoaib Akhtar and RP Singh from the front, you see a bent arm with one and a straight arm with the other. As I said, politics is preventing people from doing what they should.”
Measuring a bowler’s flex under laboratory conditions, Holding felt, needed to be implemented using the correct procedure. "When you see something that looks awkward to you, you can go to the TV booth or the production company van and then look at the slow-motion replays to make sure it’s seemingly a chuck. Then you can send the guy to the lab to be measured. If it’s a fast bowler, they’ll know what the speed he was bowling in the game. He has to be bowling at 90 to 95% of that speed in the lab, otherwise they’ll know he’s holding back.
“If he goes into the lab and does not do what he does in the game, it is upto the people testing him to report to the ICC that they are not satisfied. That’s written in the laws.”
- "When you look at Shoaib Akhtar and RP Singh from the front, you see a bent arm with one and a straight arm with the other. As I said, politics is preventing people from doing what they should."
Politics preventing people from doing what they should? How many times has Shoaib Akhtar been cleared from the ICC for reportedly having an illegal bowling action?
Politics preventing people from doing what they should? How many times has Shoaib Akhtar been cleared from the ICC for reportedly having an illegal bowling action?
exactly. same with murali. some people just don't give up i guess. with all due to respect to holding, i find it somewhat 'political' for him to actually pin-point a certain player for chucking.
And I also find it very political for him to pin-point a certain player, and this is coming from a man, who, according to the article:
- "An influential and highly respected member of the ICC expert committee that helped develop the 15 degree levels of tolerance now used for international bowlers".
Reading the above, would it be safe to assume that he was also one of the members of the action committee that was once scheduled to take part in analyzing Shoaib Akhtar's "illegal" bowling action? Yes, was he a part of it?
This would have made a whole lot of sense had Shoaib Akhtar not been reported upto this point due to politics, as Holding mentioned, (and cleared as well) by the same committee that he was also a part of. But now that everything has been bitten in the dust, the pollution rises, once again. Baseless allegations, to say the least.
I don't believe for one second that he is talking about any new players. Perhaps he is, but grasping the entire article in one breath, he has blatantly put the entire blame on Ahktar for absolutely no reason whatsoever and has made him look like a second-grade bowler.
Follwing is the content of report on Shoaib Akhar by Uni. of Western Australia. This came out after he was reported and cleared by ICC, the last time back in 2001-02
"Mr Akhtar was born with an abnormal upper limp (bowling arm). This limb will always give the impression of an unorthodox position during deliver" and that, "No amount of practice or technique training can modify these two anatomical characteristics" and that, "Mr Akhtar should be permitted to bowl for Pakistan without further concern as to his action".
Now if anyone has doubts about UWA report, than I guess they have to contact ICC and request to allow some other institute to conduct biomechanics test.
Obviously umpire and match officials will not report Shoaib because of the above mentioned fact.
It is only possible if Bedi and Chappell are the on field umpires.
Obviously umpire and match officials will not report Shoaib because of the above mentioned fact.
It is only possible if Bedi and Chappell are the on field umpires.
I find Holding's statement so unorthodox and out of place. If he was really this concerned about Shoaib's actions in comparison to RP Singh, then he should've said somethign during the Pakistan-India Series. Cleary something triggered him to say this.
Also, for a 'respectable' and 'professional' figure like himself to openly pinpoint Shoaib Akhtar really makes you question his motives. I mean, yes there are apparent politics in the ICC, but Shoaib Akhtar is not the only one who is suspected of chucking. Furthermore as fkhan pointed out, his actions have already been cleared. This is what baffles me still... I mean, I dont see a significance difference in his bowling action since when he was reported, so why is there this random-all-of-a-sudden controversy regarding only him? It suspiciously comes after Chappel's baseless remarks and approx a year before the world cup.
The deliveries of Akhtar and RP Singh they caught in Karachi test were clear evidence that Akhtar is taking advantage of the license he got from WAU. His arm was bent towards side almost 20 degree in the slow motion clips. Where as according to WAU it should bent backwards due to hyperextension elbow.
itni bio-mechanics tou har koi jaanta hai. fkhan2 if you’re not sure take a look at Holding’s analysis video from Feb and then compare his comments with WAU experts’ report. They both are talking about different things.
This is hyperextension and therefore legal for Akhtar. Look at the hand bending backward from the point of elbow which is abnormal for humans, its a natural defect and nobody can’t do anything, neither Akhtar uses this bend to jerk the hand in forward direction.
But if you watch Holding’s analysis video during Ind-Pak test match (I think somebody posted it back then) you will see Akhtar’s hand is not bent backwards but its bent on the inner side of the elbow as a normal chucker do.
So you are suggesting that Shoaib intentionally is bending and getting advantage?
I am sure Shoaib was even more faster when he was reported and was analyzed at University of WA back in 2001-2002, and at that time was expected to deliver the effort ball in the laboratory conditions, in the same manner which he used to deliver on the field. Why didn’t they notice that Shoiab is taking advantage of his birth defect there? It is not possible that shoaib cheated at that time or disguised the Biomechanics expert with a clearer action, because according to Holding it is not possible If it’s a fast bowler, they’ll know what the speed he was bowling in the game. He has to be bowling at 90 to 95% of that speed in the lab, otherwise they’ll know he’s holding back.
bhai, I didn't say he does intentionally or has been doing it. But he does chuck (as I mentioned above, sidewise bend) occasionally. Its crystal clear if you watch the whole over in which he was picked up by the commentrators. All other deliveries seemed to be fine excep this one delivery.
His speed has nothing to do with what we are discussing here.
His speed has nothing to do with what we are discussing here.
Yar if you pick just one delivery, than I am sure we can open a never ending thread here of players who chuck or have occasionally delivered an illegal delivery.
I agree with smooth guy hyper extended elbow means your arm bending backwards.Holding was trying to prove that R.p singh who also has an hyper extended elbow like Akhtar did not apear to be chucking when his hyper extended elbow becomes straight at the point of the delivery while Akhtar's arm is clearly not straight at the point of the delivery,point being hyper extension in the elbow can not cause that!
Now that I read this article without other activities in parallel, he is hinting India that they are not reporting RP Singh yet for chucking for "political" (read money) purposes :p
