How clean is your bowling action?
Confused about your degree of straightening? Here's a ready reckoner
Sidin Vadukut
12-Sep-2014
"Prince Charles called. He wants his name back" • AFP
Subsequent to the bombshell news that Saeed Ajmal's bowling action has been declared illegal by the ICC, cricket fans all over the world have been beset by numerous technical questions. For instance:
1. Is the rest of Saeed Ajmal legal? Why? Why not? What about his hair?
2. If Ajmal has exceeded 15 degrees in Centigrade, how many degrees did he exceed in Fahrenheit? In Kelvin? Explain with examples. (seven marks)
2. If Ajmal has exceeded 15 degrees in Centigrade, how many degrees did he exceed in Fahrenheit? In Kelvin? Explain with examples. (seven marks)
No wonder then that my email inbox is inundated with messages from cricket fans who all sound extremely frustrated and confused. One Ajmal Shahzad from Karachi wrote:
Dear ______ Vadukut,
You ______ nonsense ______ Indian fellows with your _____ influence over the ICC are _____ with the wrong country. Next time you ______ try and _____ with ______ our _______ take one ______ plantain ______ Radiohead ______ and then I will ______ your ______ and then ______ till further notice.
Sincerely,
Shahzad
Shahzad
(Editor's note: Some text in the above email has been edited out for clarity.)
Yet another cricket fan, from India, wrote:
Respected Sir,
A thousand diadems upon your August countenance!
In your next ESPNcricinfo column, could you please shed light on this 15-degree rule? As an enthusiastic amateur bowler myself, I would like to make sure that I am not inadvertently throwing the ball by over-straightening my arm. However, it is complex and unaffordable for amateurs to procure the bio-dynamic equipment to take these measurements at home. Please help at your earliest convenience.
With deepest regards,
Buart Stinny (name changed)
Buart Stinny (name changed)
Many thanks for your email, Buart. I would be more than happy to shed light on this conundrum. The ICC rule, first formalised in 2004, states that a bowler is not allowed to straighten his arm by more than 15 degrees whilst delivering the ball. If he straightens it more, he is considered to have thrown the ball and his action is ruled illegal. He is then barred from bowling, unless the cause for the straightening is some medical condition or it is due to some other personal reason, such as Indian or Sri Lankan citizenship, in which case he is requested to meet one ICC official in the hotel gymnasium after midnight along with a demand draft or details of a Paypal account.
Now as Buart rightly mentioned, it is very difficult to measure this 15-degree straightening without high-tech equipment ("elbow meter") in the right professional facility ("elbowratory") using the right technique ("elhadjidiouf").
However, I have prepared a simple ready reckoner that you can use during your next bowling training session to measure approximately how many degrees you may be straightening by. After each ball, measure the outcomes against the following list and find your current deviation. Then use this list to gently tweak your action until you achieve legality.
Degree of Straightening: -5 to 0 degrees
Outcome: As you run up to bowl, members of the ground staff are running for cover. Moments after releasing the ball you realise that the batsman is unmoved but the umpire is lying on the ground and bleeding from the ears.
Analysis: You are not so much delivering the ball as letting go of it under extreme duress, in random directions. Please immediately apply for coaching classes where they can teach you the basics of bowling, or even better, some other sport entirely.
Outcome: As you run up to bowl, members of the ground staff are running for cover. Moments after releasing the ball you realise that the batsman is unmoved but the umpire is lying on the ground and bleeding from the ears.
Analysis: You are not so much delivering the ball as letting go of it under extreme duress, in random directions. Please immediately apply for coaching classes where they can teach you the basics of bowling, or even better, some other sport entirely.
Degree of Straightening: 0 to 5 degrees
Outcome: You possess that rarity: a perfect textbook technique. Your arm is poised and stable all through your bowling action, and therefore you deliver the ball with little to no additional illegal acceleration.
Analysis: Your action is good to watch and smooth on your body, and we want to kiss it on the mouth. Your favourite flower is the jacaranda. Later this month we foresee some foreign travel and/or jail time. Avoid short people. Auspicious cloud: Nimbus.
Outcome: You possess that rarity: a perfect textbook technique. Your arm is poised and stable all through your bowling action, and therefore you deliver the ball with little to no additional illegal acceleration.
Analysis: Your action is good to watch and smooth on your body, and we want to kiss it on the mouth. Your favourite flower is the jacaranda. Later this month we foresee some foreign travel and/or jail time. Avoid short people. Auspicious cloud: Nimbus.
Degree of Straightening: 5 to 10 degrees
Outcome: The only thing shorter and heavier than your run-up is yourself. Yet somehow you are capable of delivering balls of commendable aggression.
Analysis: You are the kind of bowler they call "deceptive" in cricket circles. This means that you have unpredictable pace, take wickets when people don't expect you to, and also that something is shady. Yet somehow you feel that your team does not give you full credit for your efforts. Every time you bowl someone, your jubilant keeper runs up to you and surreptitiously winks, elbows you in the midriff and runs his/her fingertips through your hair. Try straightening that arm a little less if you can. Or it could become a bad habit.
Outcome: The only thing shorter and heavier than your run-up is yourself. Yet somehow you are capable of delivering balls of commendable aggression.
Analysis: You are the kind of bowler they call "deceptive" in cricket circles. This means that you have unpredictable pace, take wickets when people don't expect you to, and also that something is shady. Yet somehow you feel that your team does not give you full credit for your efforts. Every time you bowl someone, your jubilant keeper runs up to you and surreptitiously winks, elbows you in the midriff and runs his/her fingertips through your hair. Try straightening that arm a little less if you can. Or it could become a bad habit.
Degree of Straightening: 10 to 20 degrees
Outcome: Wickets and wickets and wickets and wickets.
Analysis: In school they called you Chucker Chakravorthy. In college they still remember you as Napoleon Thrownapart. At club level you were known as Don Fraudman. Later, at state level they called you Fred Flingstone behind your back. You are basically throwing the ball, boss. Stop it before the ICC catch you and force you to deliver the Spirit of Cricket Address.
Outcome: Wickets and wickets and wickets and wickets.
Analysis: In school they called you Chucker Chakravorthy. In college they still remember you as Napoleon Thrownapart. At club level you were known as Don Fraudman. Later, at state level they called you Fred Flingstone behind your back. You are basically throwing the ball, boss. Stop it before the ICC catch you and force you to deliver the Spirit of Cricket Address.
Degree of Straightening: 20 degrees or more
Outcome: You are famous javelin thrower Jan Zelezny
Analysis: See outcome.
Outcome: You are famous javelin thrower Jan Zelezny
Analysis: See outcome.
I hope cricketers like Buart will be able to use this rough-and-ready reckoner to refine their own bowling actions.