ICC panel discusses illegal deliveries via tele-conference

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) advisory panel on illegal deliveries was all set to meet on Monday via a tele-conference, according to former Indian off-spinner EAS Prasanna.

Speaking to this correspondent over telephone from his Bangalore residence, Prasanna stated, "we shall be discussing the law in detail over the tele-conference scheduled for Monday." Prasanna recently replaced Kapil Dev as the Indian nominee on the panel. After being appointed coach of the Indian team, Kapil Dev had to make way for another former player as it has been a practice that no current coach of any team can represent his country.

The timing given to Prasanna by the ICC to make himself available was 10 am UK time (3.30 pm IST). Prasanna will be hooked on to the telephone at his residence.

Prasanna had received the ICC letter (signed by Ms. Wood, the PA to Dave Richards, the Executive Secretary) through fax at the KSCA office, it is learnt. "We are not only going to discuss Shoaib Akhtar's 'suspected' bowling action, but in general, how to interpret the MCC law 24.2". Under MCC's governing laws of cricket (1980 code), no bowler is allowed to throw the ball. The relevant rule says that ``for a delivery to be fair, the ball must be bowled not thrown. If either umpire is not entirely satisfied with the absolute fairness of a delivery in this respect, he shall call and signal 'no ball' upon delivery.''

Prasanna was not disappointed at the ICC's decision to strip its special illegal bowling action committee of any powers. "The ICC is an advisory body and it cannot be in their purview to ban any player having a suspect bowling action. Their main task is to bring it (the suspect action) to the notice of the respective boards. The final authority to select or drop the player should always be with the cricket boards" explained Prasanna.

Prasanna had accompanied Rajesh Chauhan to Fred Titmus' school in London for remedial measures when doubts about Chauhan's action were first raised. The other Indian bowler whose action was termed as suspect by the ICC panel was Harbhajan Singh. The BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar accompanied Harbhajan when he visited Titmus.