Were Lillee, Imran chuckers?

(##include msid=32254032,type=11##) MUMBAI: After the International CricketCouncil’s recent findings, chucking joined traveling-without-ticket, inthat everyone-does-it-sometimes, list. And cricket’s complex subject goteven more intricate. Ninety-nine per cent of the game’sbowlers chucked, the ICC’s six-man throwing committee, featuring bowlerslike Michael Holding, Tim May and Angus Fraser, announced recently. It namedpast heroes like Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Curtly Ambrose and current stalwartssuch as Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath among those who did not quite send itdown as per rules. The development has evoked reactions both strong andmoderate. “The ICC is the authority, and they have players ontheir panel,’’ former India captain Kapil Dev told ToI on Wednesday.“They won’t make announcements without basis.’’Kapil’s contemporary, allrounder Roger Binny, was taken abackby the ICC discovery. “It’s not fair on their part to say Imranchucked,’’ Binny said from Bangalore. “He had one of thecleanest actions possible.’’ Binny did not feel thatmost bowlers chuck. “There are some with jerky actions who will alwaysarouse suspicion,’’ he said. “But by and large actions arelegit.’’ Binny added: “I believe if someone has adeformity that prevents him from bowling as per rules (the way MuttiahMuralitharan does), then he isn’t qualified to play cricket. I alsodon’t agree with the tolerance level rule. A chucker is a chucker,regardless the degrees his arm is bent at.’’ BalwinderSingh Sandhu, India’s 1983 World Cup star and now Baroda coach, said thatsometimes a bowler’s physical structure gave a picture that he chucked.“It happened with L Balaji and Avishkar Salvi, who have bentforearms,’’ Sandhu said. “My software showed that they werebending the arm while bowling. But when I checked their action personally, Irealised that the shape of their forearms caused that impression. I hope the ICCmade a thorough check of actions before declaring the findings.’’Sandhu said that rules involving angle degrees etc were difficult toimplement. “How can an umpire determine whether the bend is seven degreesor 10?’’ he said. “Instead, if there’s a suspect, thetwo umpires, the match referee and a representative of the opposition team couldtogether watch him bowl, then make a call.’’ Chuckingwas widespread in Indian junior cricket, Sandhu said, adding thatselectors’ needed to be watchful. “Selectors wait for umpires tocall chuckers. If umpires don’t, the selectors keep quiet,’’he said. “Their argument is that the bowler hasn’t been called, whypenalise him?’’ Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming,Australia captains, backed the ICC’s interest and effort in the topic ofchucking and called for restraint in reactions to it. “We are happy aboutits movement,’’ Fleming said. “For too long it was the uglysister that wasn’t being talked about but now it’s out in the openand there are positive steps being put in place. But I would like some moreinformation to understand what exactly they (ICC) have in store and what exactlythey are looking for.’’ Ponting said: “What wehave to be careful of is knee-jerk reactions when a statement comes out and weget this emotive type reporting that starts throwing players names up withoutbasis. I’m very conservative on this topic. I like it that there’saction being put in place.’’