'New throwing rules will be exploited' - Vettori

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, feels that it won't be too long before young spinners start exploiting the International Cricket Council's revised throwing law.

Currently in Melbourne preparing for the Super Series one-dayers against Australia, Vettori said he firmly believed young spinners should start exploring the more relaxed ruling, which allows bowlers to bend their arms upto 15 degrees at the point of delivery without fear of being no-balled.

The new law was adopted this year in an attempt to defuse the row over illegal actions, and particularly the controversy surrounding Muttiah Muralitharan, the legendary Sri Lankan spinner. Vettori said he supports the stance of the New Zealand Cricket Academy, which encourages young spin bowlers with unusual actions to explore their capabilities, rather than stick to traditional methods. Dayle Hadlee, the former New Zealand fast bowler who is currently a coach with the academy, said that NZC had performed something of an about-face on the question of borderline actions: "We'd see nothing wrong with one of our bowlers employing a doosra, as long as his action was within the legal framework. In fact, we'd encourage it."

"I can't see why a young guy coming through the academy who's showing that sort of ability shouldn't be encouraged to use it for every advantage he can," Vettori told New Zealand Herald. "I can't see it becoming a mass development within New Zealand because it's rare enough to find someone who's spinning it with their wrist, let alone someone who can also handle a doosra. But I think it will happen; it's only a matter of time.

"There's been a bit of a stigma about it because it's never been the done thing, but there are bowlers popping up all over the world doing it now, and the 15-degree law will only encourage more to try. I just think that if it's within the laws and guidelines set down, then you're almost obliged to tap into it, if only to keep pace with the rest of the world," said Vettori.

Vettori added that the doosra - the offspinner's delivery that leaves the right-handed batsmen - was a very difficult ball to execute and landing it with any degree of accuracy required tremendous practice. "I've practiced it and can get it out occasionally," he added, "but I find it comes back and influences everything else I do; it sort of has a domino effect on my action and rhythm and becomes counter-productive. So, having gone through the entire phase of working at it and practicing until I can bowl it, I've decided to shelve it and concentrate on what I know I can do well."