AGB Cricket

AWW SHUCKS, MURALI CHUCKS

Forced out - outed, you might say - by the enormous weight of expert anecdotal opinion, Spanky Roebuck has finally begrudged the obvious with a squirming, lemon sucking admission, and a little help from a waggish subby:

Murali must chuck out the doosra

Muttiah Muralitharan should not be discouraged by the citing of his "doosra". By and large, his action has been given a clean bill of health. Both umpires in Colombo, the match referee and the scientists in Perth have passed most of his deliveries.

Only one umpire has ever questioned his leg-break. His off and top-spinners have provoked debate but Murali can keep bowling them confident that the green light has been flashed. The spotlight has been put on a delivery that, in any case, may make him less effective.

Provided the doosra is put back in the cupboard, the popular Sri Lankan spinner can keep bowling for his country.

This delivery is an extension of a ball that has been in his repertoire for years. In effect, it is a back chuck because the elbow does straighten. Murali forced the issue by taking the delivery a step further so that it did not merely go straight through but turned from leg.

To make matters worse, the England batsmen were unable to read it, possibly because they did not watch the hand closely enough. Simon Katich seemed to regard it as a scoring opportunity in his recent innings.

Now the doosra is to be confronted by scientists and experts on the appropriate committee. Murali cannot ignore their conclusions because then further reports will be made. Undoubtedly the delivery is to be declared illegal, and rightly so, because it is ugly and the elbow does straighten.

Spectators can see the straightening with the naked eye. It was more obvious in Colombo because Murali was tired and then a man's action always deteriorates.

Cricket cannot afford to disregard the opinions of its audience. Nor need it assume that the Sri Lankan community, let alone the entire region, defends the delivery. Sri Lankan officials responded responsibly to news of the charge. They were not surprised.

Other bowlers have enhanced their reputations by eliminating deliveries from their armoury. Brett Lee no longer goes wide of the crease as he did to dismiss Marcus Trescothick in Perth. Shoaib Akhtar bowls with a greater discipline than he showed against the Australians in Colombo a few years ago. Harbhajan Singh was reported and returned to the fray after remedial work, enhancing the game with his spin and bounce.

Provided the doosra is put back in the cupboard, the popular Sri Lankan spinner can keep bowling for his country.

Far from sounding a death-knell on his career, the reporting of Murali might help his bowling. Recently he has depended too much on his doosra. His off-break has not been nearly as effective because he has been forced to bowl it straighter in an attempt to disguise his new delivery.

By avoiding the newcomer, Murali can return to aiming a yard outside off-stump with a strong field on that side of the park. His stock delivery has always been hard to play because it is expertly pitched and turns sharply.

The steps taken against Murali also indicate a determination in high places to maintain the standards of bowling around the world. Chris Broad was given a free hand by his bosses to act as he saw fit.

Broad is to be congratulated for the steps he has taken. Doubtless there will be an outcry suggesting that it is an Anglo-Saxon plot to stop Murali breaking the world record.

Australian umpires lost their reputations years ago over their timid handling of the rash of throwers appearing in the 1950s. The ridiculous no-balling of Murali when he was bowling leg-breaks in Brisbane reinforced the point. Younger antipodean umpires must repair the damage.

Broad has shown the way for more cautious officials. Lately, umpires and referees have avoided making decisions on the grounds that only fools raise their heads above the parapet.

Unfortunately he had nothing to say about Australia's deplorable appealing on that final afternoon in Colombo. Cricket will be a better game when its supervisors carry out their task of raising standards all around.

Given his reluctance to admit the obvious, and his previous position, it's no surprise he still manages to aim a selection of sly digs at the Australian umpires and authorities.

Cherry picking his article:

1) The fact that "only one umpire has ever questioned his leg-break", doesn't come close to explaining the readiness of the umpiring fraternity to admit off the record that Murali's action stinks but they are afraid for their jobs should they call him.

2) Chucking was indeed a problem in Australia, but it was an Australian umpire who flagged it forty - yes, forty - years ago. I was one.

3) In 1995/96 Murali was no balled for one leg break, not leg breaks plural as is suggested - in hindsight a crucial umpiring error, given it's been a regular "get-out" ever since - but all the others were valid calls after various umpires had reported Murali seven times prior to 1995 without any action being taken.

4) And if "Broad is to be congratulated for the steps he has taken", why haven't there been more calls from Roebuck to have match referees refer the Doosra to the ICC, instead of cheap-shots at English batsmen, and to a lesser extent their Australian counterparts, for their inability to play the "ball".

Never the less, at least buried in all his "good news" of a soon to be revitalised Murali - the point about Murali's line of attack is not without merit - is Roebuck's unequivocal admission that: "Undoubtedly the delivery is to be declared illegal, and rightly so, because it is ugly and the elbow does straighten."

About time. Contary to statement's hereabouts, I generally enjoy Roebuck's work, but as a significant presence in cricket journalism his reticence to admit the obvious was bringing into question his judgement - and possibly integrity - as a sporting commentator.

BROAD OF THE PINGS

In a move certain to set a cat among the pigeons, Third Test match referee Chris Broad -- probably sick of waiting for the umpires to do their job -- has done it for them and pinged the pinger:

Murali on chucking charge

CONTROVERSIAL Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralidaran faces an uncertain future in the game after being sensationally reported for having an illegal action last night.

Match referee Chris Broad announced he had reported Muralidaran to the International Cricket Council to have his new delivery, the "doosra", analysed by that body's suspect action review committee.

The decision has triggered shock waves through Sri Lankan cricket because Muralidaran, with 513 Test wickets, is six wickets away from breaking Courtney Walsh's world record and is expected to do so on next month's tour of Zimbabwe.

Broad said: "The concern is the ball may be delivered with an action that is not in accordance with the rules of the game.

"Accordingly, I have submitted this report for further investigation. It relates to the new delivery only."

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "The whole issue of chucking is a highly charged one that provokes an often emotional response.

"It is important the ICC deals with this on the basis of facts and not be sidetracked by the emotional arguments.

"The reality is over the past two years there has been a detailed review of the issue and fundamental changes have been made to the way the game is dealing with players with flawed actions."

Sri Lankan team manager Ajit Jayasekera said Broad informed the Sri Lankan camp of the decision just before play and said the match referee had acted alone and without input from the umpires.

"He told me he had some bad news for me," Jayasekera said. "He said he felt the ball that turned the other way needed looking at. Murali was most upset when I told him.

"He did not feel there was a problem with it and nor did the rest of us.

"But they want a biomechanics expert to look at it.

"He will have a six-week period when a Sri Lankan bowling review group will look at him and submit a report."

Muralidaran was shattered after play yesterday and left the ground for the team hotel with his head down.

The Sri Lankan cricket community was stunned by last night's news because it thought he was in the clear.

A wide range of experts, including former Test players and umpires, have expressed reservations about Muralidaran's delivery, which turns the opposite way to his stock ball, the off-break.

Many believe it is a physical impossibility to make the ball turn that way while keep the bowling arm straight.

Muralidaran was reported seven times prior to being no-balled by umpire Darrell Hair at the MCG in 1995 but the reports stopped after he was cleared by the ICC in 1999.

Don't believe the opening paragraph hype. Given the Doosra is such an obvious throw - you only need to look at Hayden's Kandy LBW - and that Broad made specific note that it was only the Doosra under investigation, the most likely Bowling Review Panel outcome is that Murali will be forced to drop it from his repetoir.

However, I'd go further: because it's such a blatant throw Murali ought to be made to give back the 9 stolen wickets purloined during this series.

Never the less, it's about time official action was taken to once again highlight this staggering miscarriage of sporting justice. That's "highlight", not eradicate. I'm not that confident of action.

HASHAN CHOP

I've seen batsmen yell at fieldsmen as they move to take a catch. I've seen batsmen wave their arms and jump up and down. I've even seen one batsman drop a gigantic fart; it worked, the fieldsman dropped a sitter.

But I've never seen a batsman take a hack at the ball like Hashan Tillerkaratne did tonight. I thought I was seeing things.

Be interesting to see if he gets penalised by the match referee. No doubt there'd be a "Reflex Action" plea with a hint of "Accidental Stumblage", but that swipe looked incredibly bad.

***

Prediction: Sri Lanka by one wicket. Admit it. It's close. We can't win. The game's set up for home town hero Murali to top edge a six, straight after he was clean bowled off a no-ball. There'll be a dropped catch somewhere. A plumb El Bee turned down and a missed stumping. I hate cricket.

OUCH! THAT'LL HURT

And not just Martyn's finger.

When Sanath Jayasuriya's in the mood, he's just the player to capitalise on a dropped chance.

Couple this with his rapid strike rate, a miniature ground, a lightning outfield, an easy batting track and plenty of time and you've got everything in place to prosecute a successful run chase.

Sri Lanka by 5 wickets.

Sangakkara out. 3 for 98

CRASH POINT

You just know an issue's coming to a head when mild mannered Crash Craddock ventures this opinion:

Sri Lanka's controversial off-spinning wizard Muthiah Muralidaran, whose highly suspect action is becoming the centre of increased scrutiny, joined Shane Warne (504) and Courtney Walsh (519) as the only bowlers to have reached the illustrious 500-wicket mark.

Presently for a "bowler" to come under official scrutiny, the umpires must include in their match report a recomendation that the action in question be referred to the ICC chucking review panel.

This is as far as the umps are now allowed to go due to the ICC's craven cowardice in removing the umpire's right to call thrown no-balls.

However, if Craddock's comments are any indication of general cricketing sentiment, we're nearing a flash point with the stage being set for an umpire to be able to include in his match report -- without fear of sanction -- a recommendation that Murali's action be referred to the ICC.

Sadly, given the fuss it would cause -- even though it is perfectly reasonable for an umpire to do -- it remains to be seen whether any other umpire will have the guts to send Murali for "remedial attention".

Update: I was disappointed that the Aussies didn't get a chance to knock over the Sri Lankan tail last night, because it was always my suspicion that this under-prepared pitch would settle down today and make it possible for the Shree tail-enders to cobble together a handy score.

Given the ease with which the underrated Vass, and Murali, a rank park slogger, were able to swing their way to 200, it would appear this is the case.

Subsequently, there should be no excuses for the Aussies not to be able to knuckle down to a tidy total in their second innings.

MAN'S TEST FRIEND

First, a general "I love Test Cricket" comment: It's time to enact a new law; one that categorically states that all Test Matches must be played between 3:30pm and 10:30pm weekdays.

Second, I hate it when home nations rig pitches. Indirectly connected - and somewhat contradictory - I absolutely love low scoring Test Matches.

More specifically things in Kandy: that backdrop is very Apocalypse Now, right down to the fireworks.

A favourite cricket adage of mine is:

Never criticise an innings until both sides have batted.

I've nothing more to add.

Except this: when there's a wicket taken in Australia, Channel Nine replay it incessantly, showing it from every angle over and over again and explaining at length what happened.

Yet in Sri Lanka, it seems to me that when a wicket's taken, the footage cuts in just before the ball leaves the bowler's hand and it's not shown all that often thereafter. Certainly not as often as it would be here, where you get a good look at the batsman's shot and the bowler's action. Both in normal time and high-res slow motion.

Not at all connected, not even a bit, we don't seem to be granted a good long look at a certain action. Maybe there's a permanent kink in the sattelite uplink.

However, even without the chance to view it several times via different angles, speeds and resolutions, one viewing is plain enough, the doosra is a shocking delivery that needs immediate banning. The one that got Hayden was a dead set chuck.

PS: Why are there always lots of suss El Bees when Morgan Freeman and Zim-Bob Orchard are on the job?

FIVE-O-WARNE

As Uber Scott decently reminded me - and don't I love it when I overlook - the Aussies have indeed pulled off the odd come-from-behind win.

Wicky also points out the significant common denominator. Shane Warne. He was the go-to guy then and twelve years on, he's still the bloke who gets thrown the ball when the game's on the line. Not surprisingly, when you consider he's taken upwards of 480 Test wickets in between.

And there are few better cricket writers equipped to chronicle the event than the man with the Cambridge Blue in corporal punishment, Peter Roebuck:

Shane Warne has become the second man in the history of the game to take 500 wickets in Test cricket. He reached the elusive target with a towering performance as Australia charged to a stunning victory on the fifth day of a match played in the coastal town of Galle in Sri Lanka. 

Playing his first Test match after completing a year's suspension imposed after diuretics had been detected in his bloodstream, Warne produced one of his most dazzling performances. His deliveries dipped, curled, turned sharply and landed unerringly upon a length. Even his straight balls were dangerous as batsmen began to resemble rabbits caught in headlights.

Interestingly - for me at least - I'm often reluctant to bother with Roebuck's articles after we've played badly, he rarely reveals anything I don't already know.

On the other hand, he's generally a good read after the Australians win because while others often celebrate the victory, he's the one - probably because he's not Strayan - most likely to point out any perceived shortcoming:

Gilchrist did not have much of a match but celebrated victory as cheerfully as the next man. His career is at a crossroads as he contemplates the relative attractions of life on the road and at home.

Meanwhile, he needs to find an outlet for a sense of justice that remains strong even on the field of play. He must also find a way of beginning his innings against spinners that does not involve playing across the line.

Hmmm. Food for thought.

IT'S GALLE GOOD

Given it's often the Australians on the arse end of a momentous and Botham ... err ... traumatic turnaround, it's great to come out on top for once. In fact, I can't remember many, if any, better Aussie comeback wins:

RICKY PONTING will never forget his first Test victory as captain.

As the song goes, there's always something there to remind him.

Shane Warne reaching 500 wickets in Test cricket.

Darren Lehmann's emotional century - a tribute to the late David Hookes.

Damien Martyn's first century in more two years to repay the unwavering faith Ponting had shown him.

Matthew Hayden equalling the world record for catches in a match.

And last, but by no means least, the fact he led Australia to one of their most gritty, backs-to-the-wall fight backs.

Australia won by 197 runs after bowling out Sri Lanka for 154 midway through the final day after setting the home side 352 for victory at Galle International Stadium.

Don't forget Murali giving his wicket to McGill rather than Warne. Works for me.

Or Andrew Symonds obscure record:

Andrew Symonds set a world record in the Galle Test between Sri Lanka and Australia that almost went unnoticed from the eagle eyes of cricket statisticians the world over. The Aussie became the 388th player to don the 'baggy' green cap for Australia in Tests.

More significantly, he did so after playing 94 One-Day Internationals. Symonds now holds the world record of making a Test debut after appearing in 94 ODIs.

Or this fox pas:

Steve Waugh's first Test, also in Sri Lanka five years ago, ended with Waugh and Jason Gillespie in hospital with a broken nose and broken leg respectively after a nasty outfield collision.

Not so. His first - as skipper, which is what I assume the article implies - was in the Windies six months earlier.

And it's not just in Sri Lanka where things are looking up - for Braxtorians anyway - just across the road, it's all good too:

VICTORIAN opener Matthew Elliott launched a double-barrelled attack on Queensland's bowlers and the record books as the Bushrangers took an iron-grip on the Pura Cup trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Bat on, my boys. Bat on.

BINGING IT ALL BACK HOME ... ALONE

Someone will be happy, Brett Lee's out injured:

AUSTRALIA'S tour of Sri Lanka is in disarray with Brett Lee to return home for specialist treatment on his damaged ankle and Michael Kasprowicz sidelined with a shoulder injury.

When they fell in love with the swash of Andrew Symond's buckle, the selectors had obviously lost perspective. It's the only explanation for not picking the less flamboyant Simon Katich.

But, there is justice in Australian cricket. I know it. The selectors will do the right thing. I have faith.

They can make good their dalliance by picking Travis Bichel to replace Lee in Shreeee Lunka.

Not because they owe it to Trav, but because they owe it to noble Victoria:

VICTORIA batsman Brad Hodge has jumped on to the front foot before the final by suggesting Queensland's bowlers are a spent force and accusing fans in Brisbane of spitting at a Bushrangers player during the final there four years ago.

There's a plane leaving tomorrow.

WHAT A GALLES UP!

Never was the Indian strategy of "playing on their arrogance" more in evidence than yesterday in Galle, when the Aussies virtually gave away their wickets in the face of some probing Sri Lankan bowling.

AUSTRALIA began the post-Waugh era with a radically different side but the same subcontinental insecurities against spin as Muttiah Muralitharan overwhelmed the world champions on the opening day at Galle International Cricket Stadium.

The unique off-spinner claimed 6-59 to draw level with Shane Warne on 491 wickets as Australia were bowled out for just 220 on a dry, cracked and dusty pitch deliberately made for Sri Lanka's spinners. Sri Lanka were 1-81 in reply at stumps.

I look forward to the day Australia, sick of rigged pitches overseas, prepare rockhard greentops when subcontinental teams visit. Instead of adhering to their misplaced sense of fairplay which continues to deliver good "test match wickets", as they did last summer.

I needn't revisit my other eternal whinge. You all know what it is.

Ignoring the tail, which was never going to handle the chucker -- oops -- Hayden, Ponting, Gilchrist, Lehmann and especially Martyn, were out to appalling shot selection. What Martyn was doing giving catching practise to leg-gully is anybody's guess.

Given each batsman got a start and looked to be capable of handling the spin it would appear Australia have let a golden chance put early pressure on the Sri Lankan attack slip through their careless fingers.

TRUNK CALL

Yesterday I watched the dead rubber ODI between Australia and the Shrees at the Sing Song Sports Club in Columbo ... or Galle ... or where-ever.

It was a casual affair, and for a while the cameras focussed on Shane Warne and Justin Langer practising in the nets outside the ground.

At one point while batting, Langer hopped down the wicket to a local "net bowler" ... took a big swing ... missed ... and were there a keeper, he would have been stumped by a mile.

Geoff "Henry" Lawson in the commentary box said something along the lines of:

"Ooh yes. Nice offy. And the bowler's given him a send off! Ha ha! On your bike, Justin!"

Co-commentator Bruce "Roo" Yardley then chipped in with a yarn from a grade cricket match at Lilac Hill Park in Perth.

Seems a batsman in the match was from somewhere on the subcontinent. Roo didn't specify which country, but he did surmise that the batsman's name might have been John Smith ... or something equally vanilla for a player from that neck of the woods.

Henry responded that "Smith" didn't seem a very Muslim sounding name and they both shared a chuckle.

I digress, but I'm not sure there'd be too many Hindus or Bhuddists grateful for Henry's denominational ommisions. Not to mention the odd cantankerous Sikh or Tamil Tiger.

Like me, Roo then gets to the point:

"When John Smith was dismissed one of the fieldsmen yelled: 'On your elephant, mate!' and we all fell about laughing."

Oblivious to what a professional outragist might construe as an insult - was Arjuna Ranatunga listening -both commentators shared another chuckle and blithely returned to the dead rubber in the middle. I think Bevan had been dismissed.

All in all, theirs was a trivial reaction to what is now considered racial sledging.

To my mind though - and I make no excuses one way or the other - their casual levity highlights a particular problem Australian cricketers face when playing sport against other cultures.

Aussie cricketers at ALL levels enjoy sledging - I know I did - and by and large, they don't mean any harm by it. Hence when they do run off at the mouth, don't consider they're doing anything much wrong.

In fact, exceptions not with standing, it's my experience that if there's someone playing on the other side who's well liked and respected they'll receive a healthy dose of sledge. And too often forgotten, 99% of the time it's good natured anyway. On the flip side, if the opponent is someone who doesn't command affection or respect, bugger all is said to them. They're snubbed.

Never the less, given we're living in "enlightened" times, I wonder if the big Roo will be asked to explain himself. Or at least be asked to apologise to John Smith. Or failing that, Kamahl.

PS: Dean Jones is an awful commentator.

THE STRIPPER

There's been the "Shooter", the "Zooter", the "Flipper", the "Gipper". Shane Warne's got a new ball:

SHANE WARNE might have a surprise for Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralidaran.

The Victorian leg-spinner has been developing a new delivery for next month's Test series in Sri Lanka.

As Warne and Muralidaran race to become the world's No. 1 Test wicket-taker, the Australian has been secretly working on a new ball.

"He's talked about a lot of different deliveries, but I might have a new one up my sleeve," Warne revealed yesterday.

EARLY (JUNK?) MAIL

Hmmm, I just got a whiff of test selection. Brad Hodge or Matthew Elliott for the Sri Lanka squad?

UPDATE: Or I may just be paranoid about NSW trying to scam the Pura.

UPDATE II: Phew:

Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Michael Kasprowicz, Simon Katich, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn, Stuart MacGill, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brad Williams, Wade Seccombe.

My spider senses were tingling -- luckily for no reason -- but given Hohns comment:

"The performances of players such as Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge and Matthew Elliott have certainly been noted, but unfortunately there's only room for so many players."