Murali on the chucking controversy
'About 80% of bowlers have some degree of flexion'
Wisden Cricinfo staff
November 10, 2004
The findings of the three-man panel that did in-depth research on bowling actions for the International Cricket Council will be greeted with immense relief and a sense of vindication by one man. Muttiah Muralitharan has always felt that he was a high-profile, soft target - and the revelation that 99% of bowlers throw under the current laws will come as no surprise to him.
In an interview with the Sunday Times last August, he questioned the wisdom of carrying out tests on individuals in isolation. "So many of the people who talk about this issue don't even know what a bowling action is," he said then. "There are cricketers who haven't gone deeper into the subject. They don't know what research has been done in the field. Why check only one or two bowlers? Why not check all? You take Harbhajan Singh, Saqlain [Mushtaq], you take [Ashley] Giles, all the spinners."
The double standards also appalled Murali, with the ICC allowing fast bowlers twice as much leeway – 10 degrees – despite the fact that Murali's own freakishly supple shoulder generates tremendous ball-speed. And when confronted with the accusation that his doosra was illegal, Murali calmly refocused the spotlight on the bouncer. "If you check the flexion for bouncers, I think it will be more than anything else," he said. "I think every fast bowler straightens his arm when he bowls a bouncer. They're not robots, your arm can only move a certain way. I can challenge anyone. Put every bowler to the test, and see what you get.
"I've been bowling like this for over ten years, and it's not appropriate to pick out only me. If you check, you'll find that 80% of bowlers have some degree of flexion. They should also be tested to see if their actions are correct."
The figure of 99% will shock those who have followed the game for years, and will no doubt elicit angry responses from former legends whose actions were considered beyond reproach. But for Murali, who was once even called a javelin-thrower by Bishan Singh Bedi, the figures back up what he has said all along, that very few actions are without some kink when subjected to high-speed cameras.
© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd
'About 80% of bowlers have some degree of flexion'
Wisden Cricinfo staff
November 10, 2004
The findings of the three-man panel that did in-depth research on bowling actions for the International Cricket Council will be greeted with immense relief and a sense of vindication by one man. Muttiah Muralitharan has always felt that he was a high-profile, soft target - and the revelation that 99% of bowlers throw under the current laws will come as no surprise to him.
In an interview with the Sunday Times last August, he questioned the wisdom of carrying out tests on individuals in isolation. "So many of the people who talk about this issue don't even know what a bowling action is," he said then. "There are cricketers who haven't gone deeper into the subject. They don't know what research has been done in the field. Why check only one or two bowlers? Why not check all? You take Harbhajan Singh, Saqlain [Mushtaq], you take [Ashley] Giles, all the spinners."
The double standards also appalled Murali, with the ICC allowing fast bowlers twice as much leeway – 10 degrees – despite the fact that Murali's own freakishly supple shoulder generates tremendous ball-speed. And when confronted with the accusation that his doosra was illegal, Murali calmly refocused the spotlight on the bouncer. "If you check the flexion for bouncers, I think it will be more than anything else," he said. "I think every fast bowler straightens his arm when he bowls a bouncer. They're not robots, your arm can only move a certain way. I can challenge anyone. Put every bowler to the test, and see what you get.
"I've been bowling like this for over ten years, and it's not appropriate to pick out only me. If you check, you'll find that 80% of bowlers have some degree of flexion. They should also be tested to see if their actions are correct."
The figure of 99% will shock those who have followed the game for years, and will no doubt elicit angry responses from former legends whose actions were considered beyond reproach. But for Murali, who was once even called a javelin-thrower by Bishan Singh Bedi, the figures back up what he has said all along, that very few actions are without some kink when subjected to high-speed cameras.
© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd
