The Hindu : Front Page : Expert report on Muralitharan's doosra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 29, 2004

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Front Page

Expert report on Muralitharan's doosra

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, APRIL 28. The initial testing of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action on April 1, 2004 for the doosra — `the other one' — at the University of Western Australia revealed that he "straightened his arm by an average measure of 14 degrees," that is nine degrees in excess of the tolerance level for spin bowlers mandated by the International Cricket Council. After correction or "remediation" under the guidance of Daryl H. Foster, the renowned Australian cricket coach, a re-test on April 7 showed "a significant improvement, with the amount of elbow straightening of the doosra delivery... reduced to 10 degrees" — still five degrees in excess of the ICC tolerance limit.

The correction essentially involved getting Muralitharan to bowl the doosra with a reduced angle of run-up to the wicket, delivery from much closer to the stumps, and a more side-on action, which "has reduced the amount of straightening of his bowling arm between horizontal and ball release."

The tests were conducted with the most up-to-date technology at the Biomechanics Laboratory of the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Western Australia by a team led by Professor Bruce Elliott. The nine-page confidential document comprising the "Bowling Report — Mr. Muttiah Muralitharan" by Professor Elliot and Jacque Alderson and the "Remediation Report — Mr. Muttiah Muralitharan" by Mr. Foster is with The Hindu .

The "Bowling Report" concludes with an expert recommendation that "Mr. Muralitharan be permitted to continue bowling the doosra at least until a valid data base is collected on the various spin bowling disciplines." The report contends that "the relatively minor level of elbow extension following remediation over the period from arm horizontal to release is not believed to give Mr. Muralitharan an unfair advantage over batsmen or other bowlers." Mr. Foster's opinion is that "without knowing what the situation is with other spin bowlers, it would seem unrealistic to ban Murali's doosra without the benefit of proper research having been undertaken into `normal' spin bowlers" and that the tests suggest that "a straightening of 10 degrees in bowling the doosra is not excessive and... should not therefore be deemed advantageous."

In the process, Mr. Foster's recommendation is that since "other off-spin bowlers, in particular Harbhajan, Saqlain and Shoaib Malik, all bowl the doosra delivery," for purposes of comparison their `other one' "should also be analysed." The coach also calls attention to research by Marc Portus into deliveries by 21 fast bowlers, which "indicates there are fast bowlers who are regularly operating outside legal limits."

However, these expert recommendations are unlikely to find favour with the ICC, which has made it clear it will not relax its stipulated tolerance levels.

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