Top Spin By Suni

Sept.3rd 2015

Seems like they are at it again!
They virtually destroyed the careers of Saeed Ajmal, Sunil Naraine and others, almost destroyed those of Sachitra Senanayake and Mutiah Muralitharan, the latter mercifully cleared by medical science while there are blatant signs of wrist jerking  by the likes of Mitchells, Johnson and Stark on delivery of their faster ball and a host of others who seemed to get away with bowling murder and walk scott free..

Is this some kind of conspiracy one wonders where the sheer brilliance of certain bowlers are being targetted and negated through planned skulduggery on the part of umpires under orders from certain peers.?
Will it be Rangana Herath next?

In the latest case highlighting the third Test between Sri Lanka and India at Colombo as posted in the media the Sri Lanka offspinner Tharindu Kaushal has been reported for a suspect illegal bowling action following the third Test against India that ended at the SSC in Colombo on Tuesday. Kaushal, 22, will have to undergo a test on his action at an ICC-accredited facility within 14 days but he can continue bowling in international cricket until the results are out.
Kaushal who has played six Tests and one ODI for Sri Lanka, having made his international debut in December 2014 is considered the frontrunner to be Sri Lanka’s leading spinner once Rangana Herath retires. Kaushal took 13 wickets in the three Tests against India, averaging 38.15 at a strike rate of 62.50. ring a bell somewhere on the conspiratory theory?

Kaushal it needs to be mentioned has a fairy tale introduction to Sri Lanka cricket, has undergone many personal traumas involving his family and existence and has come up a winner through grit, toughness and a fighting spirit and a shame the ICC have chosen to target him. To the discerning observer there seems nothing wrong with his action although how it appears to some with distorted and impaired vision whether permanent or not is another matter!!

It is also reported that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had recently announced a drive to weed out suspected actions in the country right from the school level, with the immediate aim of ensuring their players were not pulled up during the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh next year. The last Sri Lanka bowler to be reported for a suspected action in international cricket was Sachithra Senanayake, during the 2014 tour of England who after near devastation has fought back with a replenished action with only a degree of effectivity.

erhaps it is the decision making of the umpires  and related officials who draw these conclusion that needs questioning and investigation. The world knows now the true circmstances of Muralitharan;s incarceration on orders from the top as disclosed by the umpire who called him as he revealed in a media report years later.
Could it be that there are extenuating circumstances in the case of Kushal that might redeem his action or might it simply come down to the impaired vision and mindset of both umpires LLong and Tucker who seemed to have their fair share of howlers as the game progressed?

On another note -why is it also that India are exempt from the DRS  facility one might ask and why is it not mandatorily imposed on all cricket playing nations in the best interests of the game fair to all alike.

It seems high time the ICC clamped down on their own draconian view about players , bowling actions and the guidelines set to impose restrictions in a fair and proper manner incorporating all players and not just an isolated few where the umpires are no Gods with powers that often tend to ruin the outcome of a game through deplorable  decision making! They also tend to destroy the mindset, morale and enthusiasm of young players and  seems apathetic on the part of those who impose them indiscriminately often without justification and mostly on a whim!.
Incidentally it might be mentioned that they seem to have a dread apprehension of the doosra!

Technology contributing to all this eh?

with Messers. Duckworth / Lewis another thorn in the flesh of the game that needs to be jettisonned and altogether trashed as it serves no purpose  other than cutting costs of a replay.

The collective choices of the ICC relative to the game of cricket  with some exceptions seem to be systematically destroying rather than improving it.