Wright backs Harbhajan over doosra

John Wright is fully behind Harbhajan Singh during his latest controversy © Getty Images

John Wright, the Indian coach, has said he is surprised Harbhajan Singh has again been reported for his doosra, and he will continue to bowl it in the final Test against Pakistan, starting at Bangalore on Thursday. Wright said that the Indian management have not made any request to Harbhajan for him to change his action.

"We expect Harbhajan to carry on with the way he has been bowling in the last 40-odd Tests," Wright told a press conference. "The doosra is an important part of his bowling. I am sure that it's going to be just as effective in this Test match as well."

He also jumped to the defensive of Harbhajan's public comments, on TV and in the newspapers, about the incident, saying he would expect his players to have a reaction. "He has carried himself well throughout this situation and continues to do so. Anyone in such a situation will make a bit of a reaction, and that's natural. Players are passionate about what they do. I have no problems with his reaction."

This latest controversy looks likely to run and run as the BCCI have said that they will take up Harbhajan's case with the ICC. Like Wright, they are surprised that he has been called so soon after returning from undergoing remedial work, with biomechanics experts in Australia.

Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, believes the ICC need to take another look at the doosra and accept that the game is evolving. "I don't think it (the doosra) is a throw. It's not a genuine throw. It's a new skill," Woolmer told the Press Trust of India. "The ICC have to look at whether they accept this new skill and to what level they are going to accept this new skill. Cricket is undergoing a metamorphic change. Bowling actions are changing because batsmen play spin so much better."