ICC's crackdown on illegal bowling actions is good for the game, says Australian coach Darren Lehmann

Darren Lehmann feels ICC’s crackdown on illegal bowling actions is good for cricket

Australian coach Darren Lehmann feels that ICC’s renewed fight against illegal bowling actions is a good move for cricket.

World No.1 ODI bowler Saeed Ajmal was the latest to get suspended for an illegal bowling action, and is one of the 7 bowlers to get reported in the last 4 months.

Talking to Adelaide radio station FiveAA in a chat show, the former Australian cricketer felt these decisions by ICC will keep the game healthy. The 44-year-old was part of the ICC cricket committee that recommended to take up the matter of illegal bowling action seriously in June.

“The ICC have obviously decided to have a crackdown on it. That's good for the game, we've got to make sure that area is right," Lehmann said.

"If you're within the rules then fine. If you're not, then you've got to be looked at. That's what they've decided to do. What that tells coaches and players and everyone coming through the game is that you won't be able to do any of that moving forward. I think it's good for the game," he added.

Australia will play a one-off T20I, 3 ODIs and 2 Tests against Pakistan in UAE starting October 5, a tour for which they’ve done intensive preparations to tackle spin bowling, with Ajmal their main concern.

Their last big challenge against spin came in India in 2013, where they suffered a 4-0 whitewash, crumbling against spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Cricket Australia’s decision to rope in Muttiah Muralitharan as a bowling consultant earlier this year was the biggest indicator of Australia’s worries against spin bowling.

Left-arm orthodox Abdur Rehman has replaced Ajmal for the tour, and along with Mohammad Hafeez, will shoulder the responsibility to continue posing the threat of spin against the Aussies.

ICC cricket committee recommends strict action

The Anil Kumble led cricket committee insisted that the umpires should be advised to confidently call foul on suspect bowlers and report the same to the ICC.

"Changes should be considered to encourage umpires and referees to identify suspect bowlers with greater confidence, to use the expertise of the bio-mechanists working in this area to assume a greater role during the assessment process, and to allow for ongoing scrutiny of bowlers once they have been identified under the ICC procedures," the committee stated in June.

Since then 7 bowlers have been reported, five off-spinners included. West Indies’ Shane Shillingford is the only one to get his suspension revoked after undergoing remedial measures, but, was deprived of his ‘doosra’. New Zealander Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake were barred from bowling until they prove their action to be legal again.

Bangaldesh duo of Sohag Gazi and seamer Al-Amin Hossain along with Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya are yet to under testing. Despite the fact that the bowlers from around the world are under scanner, there is a wide speculation that Australia’s upcoming series against Pakistan and the ICC World Cup in February might have had some influence in banning the frontline spinner.