Another Pakistani bowler (Hafeez) reported for suspect action

[Maranello]

As far as I know OF they have not been adapted formally yet (or maybe they have been adapted but not enacted - strange are the ways of ICC). If they had been, these bowlers would probably not have been reported.

[flanflinger]

As far as I was aware Hafez was reported not just by the Match Ref, but also buy the umpires on the field and the third umpire. I think that indicates that there may atleast be some doubt about the action.

The report was made by match umpires Rudi Koertzen and Peter Barker, along with third umpire Simon Taufel and match referee Chris Broad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...an/4187499.stm

[Shaka]

The situation at the moment is that the rules are going to be changed to bring the amount of flexion allowed to spin bowlers in line with that allowed to pace bowlers (15%). In the meantime some umpires are working overtime to report as many bowlers as they can before the changes are implemented - although of course if you ask them, they'll be just doing their job.

Why there was a discrepancy of 5%-15% in the first place I have no idea, but it's certainly managed to sideline a good few bowlers which is obviously great for the game

[Maranello]

Shaka thanks for that. The inexplicable, even bizarre thing is that no one, not BEnaud, not Chappell, not Woolmer, nor Bedi or Gavaskar, or any of the other former great, who see Malik day in, day out, had ever expressed even the tiniest doubt his action. Malik had been bowling with exactly the same action for a couple of years till he was suddenly reported, out of the blue. Similarly, Hafeez has been bowling with the same action, and it was accepted as perfectly fine by all, with no hint or even the tiniest doubt expressed by anybody... till suddenly he gets reported.

Seems very random and bizarre to me, to say the least.

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

As far as I was aware Hafez was reported not just by the Match Ref, but also buy the umpires on the field and the third umpire. I think that indicates that there may atleast be some doubt about the action.

FF, let's get this sorted out, since making his debut vs Zim on 3 April 2003, Hafeez has been umpired by the following people:

Debut: Umpires: B Doctrove (WI) and AV Jayaprakash (Ind)
TV Umpire: KC Barbour (Zim)
Match Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim)

2nd game: Umpires: KC Barbour (Zim) and B Doctrove (WI)
TV Umpire: AV Jayaprakash (Ind)
Match Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim)

3rd game:Umpires: Umpires: KC Barbour (Zim) and AV Jayaprakash (Ind)
TV Umpire: B Doctrove (WI)
Match Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim)

4th game:Umpires: B Doctrove (WI) and AV Jayaprakash (Ind)
TV Umpire: KC Barbour (Zim)
Match Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim)

5th game:Umpires: B Doctrove (WI) and AV Jayaprakash (Ind)
TV Umpire: KC Barbour (Zim)
Match Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim)

6th game:Umpires: EAR de Silva and DJ Harper (Aus)
TV Umpire: TH Wijewardene
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

7th game: Umpires: DJ Harper (Aus) and TH Wijewardene
TV Umpire: MG Silva
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

8th game:Umpires: EAR de Silva and DJ Harper (Aus)
TV Umpire: TH Wijewardene
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

9th game:Umpires: EAR de Silva and DJ Harper (Aus)
TV Umpire: MG Silva
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

10th game:Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and DR Shepherd
TV Umpire: P Willey
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

11th game:Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and NA Mallender
TV Umpire: JW Lloyds
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

12th game:Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and P Willey
TV Umpire: NA Mallender
Match Referee: GR Viswanath (Ind)

13th game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and RB Tiffin (Zim)
TV Umpire: Nadeem Ghauri
Match Referee: MJ Procter (SA)

14th game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and RB Tiffin (Zim)
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: MJ Procter (SA)

15th game:Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri and RB Tiffin (Zim)
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: MJ Procter (SA)

16th game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and RB Tiffin (Zim)
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: MJ Procter (SA)

17th game:Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri and RB Tiffin (Zim)
TV Umpire: Aleem Dar
Match Referee: MJ Procter (SA)

18th game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and DB Hair (Aus)
TV Umpire: Nadeem Ghauri
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

19th game:Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and Nadeem Ghauri
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

20th game:Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and Nadeem Ghauri
TV Umpire: Aleem Dar
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

21st game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and DB Hair (Aus)
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

22nd game:Umpires: Aleem Dar and DB Hair (Aus)
TV Umpire: Asad Rauf
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

23rd game:Umpires: BF Bowden (NZ) and DJ Harper
TV Umpire: PD Parker
Match Referee: BC Broad (Eng))

Of all these people, over a space of 23 matches, no one, raised any concerns about his action what so ever, then suddenly comes game no 24 and on field umpires Rudi Koertzon and Peter Parker, TV umpire Simon Taufel and match referee Chris Board find something unusual about his action. Your action cannot become suspect over night. Were all previous umpires blind? No. Then how come they never saw anything that suggested to them Hafeez might be chukcing, although Parker, Koertzon, Taufel and Board did...sounds very, very unconvincing to me this.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Maranello

As far as I know OF they have not been adapted formally yet (or maybe they have been adapted but not enacted - strange are the ways of ICC). If they had been, these bowlers would probably not have been reported.

Seems weird that they've pulled Hafeez for a dodgy action, yet let Murali bowl his doosra in the tsunami appeal match.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

Originally Posted by Maranello

Shaka thanks for that. The inexplicable, even bizarre thing is that no one, not BEnaud, not Chappell, not Woolmer, nor Bedi or Gavaskar, or any of the other former great, who see Malik day in, day out, had ever expressed even the tiniest doubt his action. Malik had been bowling with exactly the same action for a couple of years till he was suddenly reported, out of the blue. Similarly, Hafeez has been bowling with the same action, and it was accepted as perfectly fine by all, with no hint or even the tiniest doubt expressed by anybody... till suddenly he gets reported.

Seems very random and bizarre to me, to say the least.

but Maranello, what if they did have doubts... yet they never raised the quetion in pbulic. we do not know that? they may have kept it a secret as to avoid embarassment to them and to malik. remember when that aussy called murali a chucker (i think the priminister or some). it made him look rude, and was questioning murali's integrity. in benaud had come out and said he feels malik is a chucker, people would have frowned upon that.


also the hafeez case, no-one had reported him up until now. maybe they have been giving him benefit of the doubt and have been watching him closely, up until now they have decided now is the time to act

[Maranello]

Sure RD1, that probably is the only logical and charitable explanation for what has happened with Malik and Hafeez. That throughout the 100-odd internationals they have played between them, umpires, observers and everyone else suspected their actions, and kept giving them the benefit of the doubt, till finally they were reported. Seems far-fetched to me, but as you say, we do not know for sure that this did not happen. And if this is not the explanation, then their sudden reporting now seems very strange.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

well maybe they only recently started to suspect, anyway who knows because it does seem odd.

[Shaka]

Hafeez and Malik bowled the entire ODI series against England not too far back, not one commentator (forget about umpires) mentioned any doubts about the actions. During the U19 World Cup however, there were a few raised eyebrows about the action of Tariq Mehmood, whose doosra definitely looked suspicious. I think if the action is obvious to the naked eye, anyone will make a comment. With Malik and Hafeez, before anybody mentioned it I know I certainly never noticed anything. Maybe you noticed something with Harbajhan Singh, RD?