Joe ‘The Cameraman’ Previtera again accepts blame for ‘Can’t Bowl, Can’t Throw’ jibe aimed at Scott Muller
It was four words that hastened the end of a Test career. The ‘Can’t Bowl, Can’t Throw’ line thrown at Scott Muller implicated Shane Warne and a Channel 9 cameraman. Twenty years on and neither man is budging from their stories.
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A key conspiracy theory surrounding cricket’s infamous “Can’t Bowl, Can’t Throw’’ affair has been put to rest on the 20th anniversary of one of the game’s most intriguing controversies.
Joe “The Cameraman’’ Previtera fessed up to saying the words in the Hobart Test between Australia and Pakistan in 1999.
They were picked up on the Channel Nine broadcast after fast bowler Scott Muller made a poor throw from the outfield.
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Early speculation was that Warne may have been the culprit before Previtera came forward.
Fox Cricket had Previtera on as a guest on Saturday night on its post stumps show Come In Spinner where he again took responsibility for the quote as he was interviewed by Warne and Kerry O’Keeffe.
When Previtera initially spoke up two decades ago he was wearing a Nike shirt in a Channel Nine interview and a theory did the rounds that he may have got it from Warne who was then contracted to Nike as a reward for fessing up.
But he revealed he had bought the shirt himself – and it came cheap.
“The funniest thing about that shirt was I worked at the Commonweath Games in 1998 and I bought it at one of the markets (in Malaysia) for 20 ringgits. It is an imitation,’’ Previtera said.
“People were going it was definitely you. You definitely said it was your voice. I could not remember saying it but I was talking to a couple of camera guys and it was picked on an effects mike.’’
Warne claimed complete innocence of the remark.
“People were saying I said it but I was halfway down the pitch with hand on my hips watching the ball go past and suddenly there is this big investigation whether I said it or not,’’ Warne said.
“If I had said it I would have said so but I didn’t say it and no-one believed me. Scott Muller did not believe me either.
“I actually spoke to him and said “If I had wanted to say it to you I would have said it to your face.’’
Warne and Muller have never patched up their differences despite Warne’s approach to settle the issue.
Muller never played another Test.
Originally published as Joe ‘The Cameraman’ Previtera again accepts blame for ‘Can’t Bowl, Can’t Throw’ jibe aimed at Scott Muller