When ICC starts spreading an all encompassing net in regard to highly contentious issues like chucking and corruption then Ill believe the playing field is level, writes Ian Chappell
A file photo of Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was suspended with immediate effect by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on September 9 after his bowling action was found to be illegal following tests that were carried out in Brisbane, Australia i
Sydney: I don-t know what prompted the ICC to suddenly get tough on dodgy bowling actions but it ranks as a classic case of better late than never.
A file photo of Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was suspended with immediate effect by the International Cricket Council ICC on September 9 after his bowling action was found to be illegal following tests that were carried out in Brisbane, Australia in August. Pic/AFP
The situation regarding dubious actions had reached the ridiculous stage; far worse than in the late 1950-s early 1960-s in Australia where cricket fans could-ve been excused for thinking the country had already deemed baseball to be a summer game.
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As an impressionable young cricketer, I watched a lot of games at the Adelaide Oval and I speak from experience in relating the effect dodgy actions can have on the game-s future.
I was a schoolboy batsman/leg-spinner but having seen the passing parade of herky-jerky actions at the Adelaide Oval I changed to bowling off-spin. In reality I bowled predominately off-spin and chucked a couple of deliveries each over.
I figured if they weren-t calling the guys at Adelaide Oval then, as a baseball catcher in the winter with a decent arm, I could gain an advantage by pelting a couple per over. I even opened the bowling in our club schoolboys team because we were short of quickies and I -pelted a few- with the new ball.
I was then selected in a combined schoolboy team during the Xmas holidays. When I hadn-t been called on by tea time I asked the coach; "Why aren-t I getting a bowl?" The coach, Howard Mutton, a South Australian player with a dodgy off-spin action of his own, replied: "Because you-re a chucker."
I immediately reverted to leg-spin and didn-t have any further problems.
A few years later, Australian fast bowler Ian Meckiff was no-balled for chucking in a Test match at the Gabba. This was the culmination of a clean up campaign conducted by chairman of selectors Sir Donald Bradman, who was determined to eradicate dubious bowling actions.
How Bradman acted...
It didn-t take much of a mental leap to assume Bradman had told Mutton I wasn-t to bowl in that schoolboys game. Bradman had the right idea because kids are mimics and will copy the heroes of the day and a sure way to eradicate dodgy actions is stop the offenders before they reach the first-class arena.
The fact that the ICC has finally put an end to the Saeed Ajmal farce - he would-ve looked suspicious even in Australia in the late 50-s early 60-s - is an indication they might finally be serious about cleaning up bowling actions. Nevertheless, it-s hard not to reach the conclusion that Pakistan is a -soft target- when it comes to prickly issues like chucking and corruption.
When the ICC starts spreading an -all encompassing- net in regard to these two highly contentious issues then I-ll believe the playing field is level. Anyhow, back to chucking. The ICC needs to take a leaf out of Bradman-s book and stop young -doubtful- bowlers before they reach the big time.
They should-ve adopted this approach back in the nineties when dubious actions had again started to infiltrate the game. However, the one area of the chucking issue the ICC hasn-t addressed, is the law as it applies to on-field immediacy.
How come a batsman is protected when a bowler over-steps the front line by a millimetre but he isn-t when a trundler suddenly pelts one after bowling the bulk of his deliveries?
Batsmen need immediate protection in this case rather than getting a letter from the ICC six months later apologising because they-ve discovered the delivery that uprooted off-stump was illegal.
I-m all for cleaning up bowling actions; Graeme Swann was a perfect example of how an off-spinner can be highly successful with a -clean- action. Nevertheless, if the ICC is going to clean up bowling actions, in the interest of fairness, they should also make the switch-hit illegal.
Not only is it important to keep the contest between bat and ball fair, it also pays to remember kids are great mimics.
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