Chucker crackdown: ICC CEO Dave Richardson not backing down from anti-chucking crusade
THE International Cricket Council is holding firm on its worldwide anti-chucking crusade despite the spectre of a World Cup devoid of star spinners.
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THE International Cricket Council is holding firm on clamping down on chuckers worldwide despite the spectre of a World Cup devoid of star spinners from West Indian Sunil Narine to Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal.
However the ICC is baulking at directly intervening in the West Indies player crisis that threatens participation in the World Cup and Australia’s tour of the Caribbean.
ICC boss Richardson will hunt down chuckers regardless of the curious timing of the purge, nine months out from the World Cup.
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“If we decide that there’s something wrong with the game, why should we wait until after a World Cup,” Richardson said at the ICC’s Dubai headquarters.
“I think we’d reached that straw that broke the camel’s back. There were just too many bowlers starting to emerge that people were starting to worry about.”
Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Adnan Rasool, Suryakumar Yadav and Prenelan Subrayen were reported for suspect actions in the Champions League but can represent their country. Pakistan all-rounder Hafeez faced Australia in the first Test at Dubai.
However New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi and Prosper Utseya of Zimbabwe have all been reported and suspended in the past three months.
Former South Africa skipper Johan Botha this month told News Corp Australia he feared the loss of off-spinners with any variations from the game unless the degree of flex was increased to between 15-25 degrees — with the exception of doosras.
The permissible flex will not alter, insists former South African keeper Richardson.
“We had that debate. Should we change the law to allow bowlers to straighten their arm so that they can bowl the doosra and get it to spin the other way?” Richardson said. “There were some who argue that, but the majority say no, stick with the laws as we’ve always had them.”
The introduction of the Loughborough testing facility means the net is tightening further around those with suspect actions. There are three centres already operating in Brisbane, Cardiff and Chennai.
The required time to report for the new, stringent testing via match and physical analysis will soon reduce from 21 to 14 days. Testing will also be sped up during the World Cup.
The West Indies presence in the 50-over showpiece remains in doubt. On Monday night News Corp revealed that Cricket Australia can’t guarantee the West Indies players — in a pay dispute with their board — will tour.
The ICC will attempt to help the Windies patch up relations with India after the cancellation of their Test and limited-overs tour this month to the subcontinent.
“We are very concerned it is just not good for the game no matter which way you look at it, what the reasons for the cancellation might have been or who was at fault,’ Richardson said, with the BCCI wanting $65 million compensation from the cash strapped WICB.
Former West Indies skipper Carl Hooper told News Corp he wants the ICC to intervene but that is unlikely at present.
“It was a bilateral tour, there is not much we could directly do. It will depend on the agreement between the BCCI and the West Indies.
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