Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal’s ban from cricket for an illegal bowling action has once again thrown open the age-old debate that ‘chucking’ is rife in the game. Ajmal has been Pakistan’s most prolific Test wicket-taker but biomechanic tests have now proved that his deliveries broke the limit for straightening of the elbow joint. The bigger problem is that cracking down on bowlers with illegal actions has not been timely and umpires are often wary about reporting bowlers to match officials.
Ajmal’s is a classic case in point, having been reported and banned after playing 35 Tests and 111 One-Day Internationals. He is one of the premier bowlers in world cricket today and his stained credentials are not a credit to the game. There is the alarming prospect that at the first-class level, and lower grades of cricket, there are many bowlers with illegal actions, who are waiting to come up the ranks. It is time for the International Cricket Council (ICC) and cricket boards to agree upon corrective measures, coupled with technological assistance, on a bowler’s action. These must be applied at the grassroots level of the game in order to stem the rot.
