Murali's latest action analysis photo!

[Miss Hit]

wat the hell is dat?? Zeke, go away to ur Ozzie board!

[Nikhil]

Originally Posted by Rachael

With all that said.. this is treating the symptoms rather than the disease: remove the test status from any so-called "test" ground that negates the value of a decent quality finger spinner and you've cured the dsease with no need to resort to such radical acts.

Doesn't mean that all pitches have to be dry and dusty with uneven bounce from the start of the first session... merely that all traces of loam should be dug up and incinerated and then replaced with something that will ensure that as the Test progresses the pendulum swings somewhat.

I agree with you on the pitch issue, but as far as giving bowlers permission to bend their arms I don't think it's a good idea. There are lots of young spinners in Asia who are trying to emulate Murali. If you saw the Under-19 world cup, you would realise three of Pakistan's four bolwers had dodgy actions. They have since been reported. That's not a cure for the problem. I know high quality spinners are at a premium, but that doesn't make an illegal bowling action legal.

[high_on_linseed]

Atherton was merely proposing that the priveleges that Murali enjoys (bestowed on him by nature), and which help him to turn it enormously, be shared by all other spinners. There would be a limit of a 10-15 degree flex, so it would be far from baseball pitching. Besides the arm would still have to go over, and the ball bounce. That is not a throw at all in my opinion.

I personally applaud this stance, as I think it is the best way to redress the balance that is heavily weighed against finger-spinners at the moment. As Atherton points out, all the things that have gone against finger-spinners over the last forty years include:

Covered pitches.
Changes in pitch composition.
Heavier bats.
Pad play.

What I dont like is not that Murali flexes his elbow per se, just that its one rule for him and another for everyone else, and that is patently unfair.

[high_on_linseed]

Interestingly it's funny how the most vociferous critics of Murali are Oz, who just happened to be blessed with three test-class leg spinners, and therefore don't need to rely on finger spin at all. Strange that, isn't it?

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by high_on_linseed

What I dont like is not that Murali flexes his elbow per se, just that its one rule for him and another for everyone else, and that is patently unfair.

That is a good point. And while I see that the ICC should perhaps think of levelling the playing field (ugh ghastly simile) for other spinners, they can perhaps also see that the adjustment in the laws would bring about too fundimental a change to the game as a whole.

I need not go into my personal views regarding this bowler...they are too well known.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by high_on_linseed

What I dont like is not that Murali flexes his elbow per se, just that its one rule for him and another for everyone else, and that is patently unfair.

Agreed. But if the man is not able to bowl - or if he can only bowl some balls legally and not others - whatever the reason he should just not bowl or should leave out the ones he can't bowl legally. Everyone knows that Murali is outside the law at least some of the time. He should be no-balled every time he goes outside the law. I'm sorry for the bloke that he has a defective arm, but we all have to play the hand we are dealt. My wheelchair-bound mate who would like to play for Manchester United accepts that. So should Murali (and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the ICC).

[high_on_linseed]

I'm into the idea of the umpire simply no balling the doosra when he thinks he's goe over the limit, but it would take balls as big as blimps to do that in Sri Lanka. Were Ranatunga captain, they'd probably walk off the field. Bye the way, who is the Sri lankan captain now? Attapattu?

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

Agreed. but we all have to play the hand we are dealt. My wheelchair-bound mate who would like to play for Manchester United accepts that. So should Murali (and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the ICC).

Ysbeidiol...that's absolutely right. It's not as though he's Heath Streak, who would like to play for Zimbabwe and quite frankly is good enough.

Still who ever said that politics and sport don't mix?

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Oliver

Still who ever said that politics and sport don't mix?

Well, it wasn't me!

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by high_on_linseed

Interestingly it's funny how the most vociferous critics of Murali are Oz, who just happened to be blessed with three test-class leg spinners, and therefore don't need to rely on finger spin at all. Strange that, isn't it?

Three test-class leg spinners? Please enlighten a confused Aussie...