New rule likely to allow Muralitharan bowl 'doosra'
LONDON, Nov 10: International Cricket Council is set to change the rules to allow all players to bend their arms when bowling, according to reports.
It is claimed that a 15 degree flexing of the arm will be permitted following an extensive research programme conducted by biomechanics experts.
Previously only 10 degrees for fast bowlers and five degrees for spinners were permitted.
The change has to be approved by the ICC Cricket Committee in November.
If green light is given, it would allow Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl his controversial 'doosra'.
The delivery was outlawed by ICC last May after receiveing a report which was jointly produced by Sri Lanka Cricket and University of Western Australia.
The report showed an initial straightening of Muralitharan's arm of around 14 degrees, which after some remedial work was reduced to 10 degrees.
Pakistan's spin bowling all-rounder Shoaib Malik is the latest player to fall foul of existing regulations.
His action was reported to ICC by umpires Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar following last month's one-day home triangular series against Sri Lanka.
The action of world's fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar has also come under scrutiny in the past.
A Daily Telegraph newspaper report claims the ICC findings have shown that 99% of all bowlers in history have not had legal actions.
A 2001 report by University of Western Australia's Department of Human Movement concluded Shoaib Akhtar's action was legal.
The report said his action was due to "unique physical characteristics - that he had hyper-mobility in both his shoulder and elbow joints".
Australia's Brett Lee, was investigated and cleared in 2000.
The decision to recommend a change to the rules follows a recent meeting of a special ICC Sub-Commitete on Flawed Bowling Actions in Dubai.
Chaired by ICC general manager Dave Richardson, the panel also includes former West Indies paceman Michael Holding, former England captain Tony Lewis, ex-England seam bowler Angus Fraser and former Australia off-spinner Tim May.
Chucking has been a thorny subject for cricket administrators ever since Australia's Ian Meckiff was called four times in an over during a Test series against South Africa in 1963-64.
BOYCOTT SLAMS: Former England batsmen Geoff Boycott has slammed the International Cricket Council's (ICC) proposal to relax the rules on chucking as the result of pressure from Sri Lanka on behalf of star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
The Sri Lankan's famous - or infamous - doosra delivery is expected to become legal once ICC chiefs have ratified a proposal from a committee to allow bowlers to flex their arms at the elbow by up to 15 degrees during a delivery.
The move follows research that indicated most bowlers in history have released the ball with a bent arm - although this was only rarely visible to the naked eye.
But Boycott claimed the development was nothing to do with consistency and fairness, describing it as a "sad day for cricket."
The blunt-speaking Yorkshireman told the BBC: "I think it's been brought in through pressure from Sri Lanka and Murali's supporters.
"It's a sad day for cricket that this pressure can allow Muralitharan to bowl whatever he wants."-Agencies
