Nothing to Crowe about

From that infamous boxing day of 1995 when that now disgraced authoritarian Australian umpire Darrel Hair called Sri Lankan off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing, the world of cricket never has been the same. However so far the tale has been readng like Hair has been voted out or kicked out (you are free to choose the phrase you like to use) by the ICC’s cricket hierarchy while Muralitharan still continues to bamboozle the world’s leading batsmen now with an added weapon of the ‘doosra’ and claiming 674 wickets so far in his unfinished career.

Then from time to time cricket’s old cronies who are now sidelined and wants a little attention coming their way picks up a stone and casts it towards the huge Murali castle only to fall by the wayside once again and remain dormant.

Through the years lackey’s in the basket in the likes of Ross Emerson, Bishen Singh Bedi, Chris Broad etc have come out and tried their hand at stopping the Murali machine, but, thanks to the world of science and bio mechanism the so called pundits have been proven wrong over and over again. Ironically still Murali’s action remains to be a money making subject for those who are interested.

First it was the ‘burly’ Hair itself. First he calls Muralitharan and makes a huge ‘din’ about it and threatens to call him once again if he ever stands in a match that Murali is featured gets all the publicity and then comes out with his autobiography –“The Decision Maker” in the year 1999. Naturally Hair stood to make a lot of money at the end of it.

The latest to enter into the fray is another man with a blotchy past himself in former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe. Martin Crowe .was hounded by the media for reasons which are not a secret for those in the know how had a very shaky ending to his career as other activities took precedence to his skills in the field of cricket and had to ease out of the game gradually. However that is not our theme today.

He first came out with his doctrine on July 11 when he addressed the group who had converged to listen to him delivering MCC's Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's. At this forum he clearly pointing his finger to Muralitharan said “Having been pinned in the head by chuckers over 15 years, having been bowled first ball in a Test by a certain Sri Lankan bowler, I've had more than enough of this aspect of the game.

"To straighten your arm from a bent position is a massive advantage. If the umpire believes he has seen a throw then he should, as part of the laws of cricket, be allowed to no ball it or at least report it.”

The very next day the ICC replied to these allegations in full detail about the 15 degree arm bending rule passed by the authority. It explained --“The regulations are based on the views of an expert panel of former players including Angus Fraser, Michael Holding and Tony Lewis - the current Chairman of the MCC's Cricket Committee," said David Richardson, the ICC's General Manager - Cricket. "This group studied the research of prominent bio-mechanists Professor Bruce Elliot, Dr Paul Hurrion and Mr Marc Portus and the scientific evidence they were presented with was overwhelming.

"The facts are that some bowlers, even those never suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees. And at the same time, some bowlers that may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowling with permanently bent elbows.

"Under a strict interpretation of the Law they were breaking the rules but if we ruled out every bowler that did that then there would be no bowlers left. The game needed to deal with that reality and the current regulations do just that”. As far as the world of cricket was concerned that was the end of the matter.

For anyone who wants to write a book on cricket there are two very juicy topics. First is Muralitharan’s bowling action and the other is Shane Warne’s womanizing. Through the grape wine we at this end have also learned that Martin also is contemplating writing his own book. If so to write his book he also must get into a topic that people would talk about. So during the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the Basin reserve he rekindled the subject with West Indian Tony Cozier. He did not need Cozier’s prompting. For half an hour while they had their expert views on the game in progress the main topic was the legality of Muralitharan’s bowling action.

Once again the next day Crowe met his match – this time it was the much respected John Reid who berated Crowe

According to New Zealand writer Jonathan Millmow, Reid was on the high-powered ICC illegal action committee that cleared Muralitharan of chucking six years ago. He claims Crowe has scant knowledge of the subject and is inadvertently motivating the Lankans.

"He's upsetting the Sri Lankans against New Zealand, which side is he on?" Reid asked?

"He won't believe these so-called experts who are the ICC illegal delivery panel. Murali's also been passed by the biomechanists.
"Everyone thinks he has a bent elbow. He hasn't, he can't straighten his elbow. He's got a double-jointed wrist you wouldn't believe."

The nine-strong panel that cleared Murali also included Doug Insole (England), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Bob Simpson (Australia), Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Michael Holding (West Indies), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Nigel Plews (umpires' representative) and Clyde Walcott (West Indies, chairman).

Reid dismissed Crowe's belief that the ICC should be running yearly warrant of fitness checks on bowlers such as Muralitharan to see if they are falling back on old habits.

Crowe had suggested that Murali - whose controversial action led to the authorities allowing a 15-degree flex in the elbow at the point of delivery - needed to be monitored more often to ensure his arm was not flexing more than permitted. "Once they are cleared, they are cleared. How often do you change your action?" Reid said.

When The Sunday Musings queried from the SLC if Crowe’s mutterings have any official bearing its Media Manager Samantha Algama said “As far as the SLC is concerned there is nothing official about the statements and we have not received any official statement from New Zealand cricket or the ICC authorities about it. As far as we are concerned the ICC will not hold inquiries on personal E-Mails from every Tom, Dick and Harry. There is a process by the ICC on illegal actions and Murali has gone through the Tests and cleared them. This is all just idle talk”. Which enhanced our theory that Crowe really has nothing to crow about.
At the same time every human being is entitled to his own opinion on any matter. However if he/she is making an attempt to make a quick buck in the midst of it, the whole thought turns negative and sour.