Jarryd
Club Cricketer
http://www.thewest.com.au/20060202/s...sto133357.html
Bring back Murali
JOHN TOWNSEND
The expert who helped Muttiah Muralitharan remain in Test ranks believes the controversial spinner's bowling action is ringing warning bells and should be examined closely by international umpires.
University of WA expert Bruce Elliott, who tested South African spinner Johan Botha yesterday after the bowler was reported for a suspect action in the third Test last month, admitted Muralitharan was bowling differently from when tested at UWA in 2004.
Muralitharan's ability to bowl his doosra, the off-spinner's wrong'un that caused Botha to be reported, was still questionable and should be examined closely by ICC match officials, Elliott said.
The Sri Lankan was now bowling more than 30kmh faster than he did at his last UWA examination, raising concerns that his bowling arm was extending beyond the 15-degree limit introduced by the ICC under its new chucking regulations.
"I have no doubt about his off-break because he can bowl that quite legitimately and has a lot of leeway in his elbow extension," Elliott said.
"The doosra, I have more concern for.
"Warning bells should ring and it should be looked at more carefully from an umpiring perspective."
Elliott's admission comes a day after Indian coach Greg Chappell, under enormous pressure as he faces a series loss to Pakistan, said both Muralitharan and paceman Shoaib Akhtar should be tested again.
Elliott, the ICC biomechanist, acknowledged that Muralitharan was bowling much faster than he did at UWA in April 2004, when former Sri Lankan coach Bruce Yardley acted as an independent observer to ensure the spinner's action replicated his normal match technique.
The UWA bowling report sent to the ICC confirmed that Muralitharan operated in the range of 65-72kmh during that 2004 testing, much lower than this week's one-dayers at the WACA Ground where he delivered the ball at up to 96kmh.
"Murali bowled at the test at just over 70kmh and he was bowling his doosra in that vicinity at that time," Elliott said.
"If he is now bowling it at 90kmh, then I would suggest that umpires need to look at that carefully.
"If umpires or match officials believe he is contravening the rules, it is up to them to declare that he is illegal or report him.
"If they think the increased speed has brought an increased elbow extension, it is up to them to declare he should be reported so he can undergo the (ICC) process."
But Elliott said the bowler could deliver the ball 50 per cent faster while using other parts of his arm rather than his elbow to produce the extra speed, though it was unlikely given the magnitude of the increase.
Television speed guns also inflated bowling velocity by up to 5kmh, making then less reliable than UWA's 250 frame per second high speed cameras.
South African captain Graeme Smith said he was 100 per cent confident that Botha would be cleared of chucking, although he refused to compare the spinner's action to any other bowlers in world cricket.
Bring back Murali
JOHN TOWNSEND
The expert who helped Muttiah Muralitharan remain in Test ranks believes the controversial spinner's bowling action is ringing warning bells and should be examined closely by international umpires.
University of WA expert Bruce Elliott, who tested South African spinner Johan Botha yesterday after the bowler was reported for a suspect action in the third Test last month, admitted Muralitharan was bowling differently from when tested at UWA in 2004.
Muralitharan's ability to bowl his doosra, the off-spinner's wrong'un that caused Botha to be reported, was still questionable and should be examined closely by ICC match officials, Elliott said.
The Sri Lankan was now bowling more than 30kmh faster than he did at his last UWA examination, raising concerns that his bowling arm was extending beyond the 15-degree limit introduced by the ICC under its new chucking regulations.
"I have no doubt about his off-break because he can bowl that quite legitimately and has a lot of leeway in his elbow extension," Elliott said.
"The doosra, I have more concern for.
"Warning bells should ring and it should be looked at more carefully from an umpiring perspective."
Elliott's admission comes a day after Indian coach Greg Chappell, under enormous pressure as he faces a series loss to Pakistan, said both Muralitharan and paceman Shoaib Akhtar should be tested again.
Elliott, the ICC biomechanist, acknowledged that Muralitharan was bowling much faster than he did at UWA in April 2004, when former Sri Lankan coach Bruce Yardley acted as an independent observer to ensure the spinner's action replicated his normal match technique.
The UWA bowling report sent to the ICC confirmed that Muralitharan operated in the range of 65-72kmh during that 2004 testing, much lower than this week's one-dayers at the WACA Ground where he delivered the ball at up to 96kmh.
"Murali bowled at the test at just over 70kmh and he was bowling his doosra in that vicinity at that time," Elliott said.
"If he is now bowling it at 90kmh, then I would suggest that umpires need to look at that carefully.
"If umpires or match officials believe he is contravening the rules, it is up to them to declare that he is illegal or report him.
"If they think the increased speed has brought an increased elbow extension, it is up to them to declare he should be reported so he can undergo the (ICC) process."
But Elliott said the bowler could deliver the ball 50 per cent faster while using other parts of his arm rather than his elbow to produce the extra speed, though it was unlikely given the magnitude of the increase.
Television speed guns also inflated bowling velocity by up to 5kmh, making then less reliable than UWA's 250 frame per second high speed cameras.
South African captain Graeme Smith said he was 100 per cent confident that Botha would be cleared of chucking, although he refused to compare the spinner's action to any other bowlers in world cricket.
