A strange sort of poetic justice. It is somehow fitting that a cricketer who shouldn't be playing should take the wicket taking world record against a nation that shouldn't be playing. It symbolises the total lack... [Ubersportingpundit]
More on Murali: Interesting that it is usually Aussies who get very exercised about Murali's action and call for him to be banned from the game - and not only the lovely Darrell Hair. As far as I am concerned, he has been playing test cricket for 10-12 years against all cricketing countries, his action has been cleared at least twice after biokinetic studies (in Australian labs), so let's give him his due as one of the world's great bowlers, not a cheater by any means, and one who brings a lot of interest to his craft.
The IHT, not notable for its cricket coverage, had a long and thoughtful article about the issue a few days ago, The Telegraph today recognises both the achievement and the controversy, while Kevin Mitchell in an excellent article in The Observer agrees with me, and reminds me that great Australian cricketers like Steve Waugh and Ian Chappell also back Murali.
Chucking has always been an emotive issue. Aussies will remember Ian Meckiff (with whom I shared a train trip trip from Johannesburg to Maritzburg back in January 1958, along with Richie Benaud, wally Grout, Alan Davison and others) who was drummed out of the game after quite a long career. I remember a really nice Durban boy called Geoff Griffin, who was called for throwing and banned from the game in his first and only Test Match at Lords in 1960where he had earlier taken a hat trick. And his arm was bent because of a childhood injury. A real tragedy and injustice.
YET MORE: from Derek Pringle. I also remember reading an item in a recent issue of The Economist, which concluded that science is unable to resolve the issue of throwing.
7:21:38 PM 
|
