#360view: ICC needs flexible approach to restore balance between bat and ball

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  • Banned: Both Mohammed Hafeez (l) and Saeed Ajmal (r) have been suspended by the ICC for illegal actions.

    Pakistani cricket journalist Nabeel Hashmi argues that in a world dominated by a new era of innovative batsmen, it is time the ICC looked to help off-spinners influence the game in an equally dynamic fashion.

    Switch-hits, power-plays, five fielders inside the circle, free-hits, no-balls and wides. Just some of the terminologies which have made one-day cricket a nightmare for bowlers the world over as the powers that be push for a batsman-friendly shorter form of the game to appease new fans and TV money-men.

    – ICC suspend Mohammad Hafeez for illegal bowling action

    – Suspended Saeed Ajmal named in Pakistan's World Cup squad
    – PCB to put Ajmal through his paces before ICC test

    Such has been the lust of commercialism in international cricket that the law-makers have sacrificed the basic right of bowlers to improve their financial muscle and have consciously created an imbalance which escalates with each passing day.

    This inequality is a cancer on the game which is not being treated.

    Spinners have been the worst affected and it has forced bowlers to over compensate in order to regain favour by bowling over the allowed limits.

    It is this art which is under the most scrutiny and nearly 80% of bowlers reported for suspect actions in domestic or international cricket are off-spinners.

    High profile cases include Pakistan’s ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, West Indian magician Sunile Narine, Sri Lankan flicker Sachitra Senanayake and news today that Mohammad Hafeez is the latest to be banned by the ICC.

    Pakistan’s ex off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed, who took 93 wickets in 34 Tests and 50 scalps in 77 ODIs, is just one of many of the game’s experts to be concerned over the future of the profession.

    “The future of off-spin looks in danger to me right now in current circumstances as T20 cricket has forced the bowlers to add new things to their armoury which has led to chucking as well,” Tauseef told Sport360.

    “I feel that the timing of the crackdown is totally wrong because a charm of having off-spinners and mystery spinners could be missed from the 2015 World Cup as bowlers will be afraid to apply their tricks with fear of being reported.

    "The ICC could have taken a stricter action after 2011 World Cup or even in 2012 but sudden crackdown has destroyed plans of teams with the mega event so close.”

    However, Tauseef highlights England’s Graeme Swann as an example in how to bowl off-spin within the parameters of the laws.

    “Swann is a perfect example of being successful with a clean off-spin bowling action in modern day cricket while Nathan Lyon has a clean action too. Off-spinners need to use their shoulders and fingers more instead of heavily relying on their elbow to push the bowl for getting purchase,” Tauseef added.

    The potency of off-spin became fatal once Saqlain Mushtaq appeared on the scene and invented the ‘Doosra’. The delivery, which goes the other way and acts like the leg-spinners ‘googly’, has been replicated with fervour ever since to varying degrees of success.

    One bowler to take the ball to the next level was all-time leading international wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan. While both bamboozled even the best of batsmen during their careers, Murali’s action was questioned from his first to last appearance in a Sri Lanka shirt while Saqlain bowled with a far more traditional form.

    Since his retirement, Saqlain has been coaching and mentoring kids and top bowlers of the game; including Ajmal and Narine as they try and revert their actions within the 15 degree limit.

    In Saqlain’s opinion, the ICC should make changes to the laws in order to provide room for bowlers to survive.

    “In my opinion, ICC should reconsider the limit of 15 degrees for bowlers because then most of the bowlers would struggle to pass the filter. The ICC should try to increase the relaxation to 20 degrees and that will be good enough,” Saqlain said.

    “Modern day cricket is very batting dominated now and the bowlers need to adjust to it something which the cricket’s governing body should understand.”

    In his career, Saqlain claimed 208 wickets in 49 Tests and 288 in 169 ODIs before a knee injury forced him to leave international cricket and head for England to play county cricket.

    The 37-year-old felt that the majority of the spinners would get in trouble due to new stricter guidelines by ICC.

    “If all the bowlers playing in international cricket will be checked without being reported by umpires, then I feel most of them would struggle to get clear,” Saqlain added.

    “An individual cannot pick whether a bowler is bowling over 15 degree angle with a naked eye and only slow motion cameras can detect it so some benefit should be given to the bowlers.”

    Ajmal had closely worked with Saqlain both in Pakistan and England in a hope to get clearance by the ICC and has remodelled his action in order to minimize the bend in his arm which was more than 15 degrees.

    Under scrutiny: Saeed Ajmal is attempting to prove his legality in time for the World Cup.

    His unofficial tests at Loughborough University have revealed that though he has improved a lot in his normal off-spin and faster deliveries, the bowler is still struggling to bowl his ‘doosra’ under the limit.

    Asked whether the ‘Doosra can still be bowled with a clean action, Saqlain replied: “[It] can still be bowled legally but one needs to work upon the muscles, grip of the ball, action and pivot. If a bowler can work out all these issues then he can certainly bowl a ‘Doosra’ without chucking.”

    Supporting Ajmal’s case, Saqlain explained that the bowler has a medical condition which means his wrist breaks abnormally and his shoulder and elbow muscles behave in a different way compared to other bowlers.

    “I think his medical condition should be kept in mind by experts whenever Ajmal goes for official tests.  I am hopeful that he will get clearance to represent Pakistan soon,” said Saqlain.

    If the ICC can make room for corrupt players to return to international cricket, then showing flexibility over an off-spinner’s action should not be a big issue and could help the game regain the balance between bat and ball which makes for the best contests.

    At the very least these bowlers, who remain under the most intense scrutiny from fans, selectors and the governing body of the game are trying to survive against evolving batsmen on paradise pitches built in their nemeses favour.

    As batsmen are rightfully being encouraged to develop the game with new subtleties and variations, it is about time the ICC allows bowlers a chance to entertain the crowd by delivering new, exciting aspects to the game.

    After all, a Test match can only be won by taking 20 wickets and as many runs as your batsmen put on in 20 or 50 overs, you need a bowling unit to defend your total, no matter how mammoth.

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