Hang on, 99% of bowlers flex as much as Murali?? I really dont think so, I would say 99% of bowlers flex less than 5 degrees.


I dont think you understand my reasoning. ANY bowler could throw in a game, deliberately or not, and the worst that could happen is he would be reported and he would then have to undergo biometric testing. If that bowler then bowled "normally" they would pass the biometric testing and be cleared. Granted if a bowler ket on being reported, he would get banned, but if he got cleared a couple of times he wouldnt get reported any more. i.e Murali.

In the cases of Lawson, Botha and Kirtley is was obvious to the naked eye that they had terrible actions. They got banned because they failed biometric testing, NOT becasue they had been reported. If they had passed the testing they would be able to carry on bowling.

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Mark.

I think that Kirtley very well shows what would have happened to an English Murali. Kirtley has always been under a cloud and I think did not play for England for a long time because the people in charge were not happy about his action. I think an English Murali would have languished in the county game with under the breath barbed comments and shaken heads, barracking from the stands etc. He would only have been brought into the national team if an injury crisis left very little option and England were themselves facing a bowler who they believed to be suspect but who was not being called.

I am aware that Murali is limited in his ability to fully straighten his arm due to a physical problem however I believe that he gains an unfair advantage as a direct result of this. I suggest to anyone who wants to try that you hold a ball in your hand, bend the elbow slightly and then rotate your shoulder and wrist without changing the angle of bend in your elbow. You will find that the hand and wrist performs effectively a slingshot manouever very similar to a throw and not particularly like bowling. This is done without straightening or further bending the arm, but cannot be done with an arm which starts and stay straight.

All that said the governing body have ruled it legal, and as much as I dislike the fact it is the ICC who are empowered to make these judgements.