Afridi's Bowling Action Questioned By Australians (4 Mar 1997)

4 March 1997

Afridi`s bowling action questioned by Australians

By Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, March 3: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed its ignorance over Australian Cricket Board`s suspicion on Shahid Khan Afridi`s bowling action.

The Chief Executive of the PCB, Majid Khan, said from Lahore: "I have not been informed that the ACB has raised any issue."

The bowler, Shahid Afridi, said: "I was neither warned nor called for throwing. Moreover, I was not told about anything by the management."

Sources close to the International Cricket Council (ICC) say that the ACB have asked the game`s governing body to check the bowling action of Shahid Afridi specially when he delivers that ferocious faster one.

The ICC, according to sources, is planning to discuss the issue when the officials of all the cricket boards assemble for a routine meeting at Kuala Lumpur in April during the ACC Trophy.

The bowling actions of Sri Lankan spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumara Dharamasena besides Indian spinner Sunil Joshi will also be discussed along with Shahid Afridi, stressed the sourcesm, requesting anonymity.

Former Australian captain, Allan Border, said Shahid Afridi had a questionable bowling action but it was the ICC to declare the action legal or illegal. "It is difficult to say because he has never been called for throwing."

The throwing controversy surfaced in 1995-96 when Australian umpire Daryll Hair called Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in an over, interestingly from the bowling end.

The videos of Muralitharan`s bowling action were sent to the ICC but the game`s governing body is yet to announce its ruling as the spinners continues to play for Sri Lanka. He played a leading part in Sri Lanka`s historic World Cup triumph 12 months ago at Lahore.

Source :: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn)