Shikhar Dhawan reported for suspected action !!!!

சட்டம் தன்  கடைமையை செய்யும் [ the law will do its duty !] – we hear often !!.   In English tort law, an individual may owe a duty of care to another, to ensure that they do not suffer any unreasonable harm or loss. If such a duty is found to be breached, a legal liability is imposed upon the tortfeasor to compensate the victim for any losses they incur.

Chucking ! – many Cricketers have been complained of doing this …. Somehow, many Off-spinners have been called for chucking – not many fast bowlers with suspect action. .. .. ..

Muttiah Muralithatan was teased and tormented by Aussies ~ and he got through all tests.  Another high ranked ODI bowler – Pakistani Saeed Ajmal is in crossroads. His action has been queried in the past but testing procedures were not as stringent or sophisticated as they are now.  Shane Shillingford, the West Indies spinner, was suspended and reintegrated several times since his international debut in 2010, and has been cleared again on condition he does not bowl his doosra. Sri Lankan Sachithra Senanayake was called, England did make a fuss.

In the 2nd One dayer at Colombo,  the hosts won by 8 wickets with 9 balls to spare – KushalJanith Perera fell one run agonizingly short of a century.  In the 38 overs match, West Indies employed 7 bowlers including Marlon Samuels who bowled 5.3 for 34 without taking a wicket.  Marlon Samuels had been called for suspect action and legally should not have been bowling – but a communication gap ! allowed that.   

The list of bowlers with suspect action and those pulled up by Umpires is quite long.  Sunil Narine is another one reported a few times ! then there are  Mohammad Hafeez, Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi, New Zealand's Kane Williamson, Sri Lanka's Tharindu Kaushal,  Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya and Malcolm Waller.

.... do you know this – in April 1983 at Bridgetown Test, West Indies required a solitary run to win.  Greenidge and Haynes opened and the bowler was ….. Syed Kirmani, the wicket-keeper.  His only ball was reported ‘chucking’ and WI won with that extra. Thus Kirmani  was not hit for  any run of his bowling … !!

Now at Feroz Shah Kotla, South Africa stonewalling for 143.1 overs and making 143 lost the match and Series by 0-3 margin.  Ravindra Jadeja had figures of 43-33-26-2.  In between, in trying to break the partnership between Amla and de Villiers, India employed Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. 

After 53 overs, SA were only 49/2 – Dhawan came to bowl his off-breaks ? – the first ball did not land at all, Amla could not defend that and hit that for a four.  Off the 4^th Saha dropped a catch; 5^th lobbed off the bat, diving Pujara could not hold and 6^th was another full, hit for a four – the best over for SA – and now that is becoming an issue !

India's Shikhar Dhawan has been reported for a suspect bowling action and will need to undergo tests within 14 days, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said here today. Dhawan, 30, an opening batsman who rarely bowls, was reported after the fourth Test against South Africa in New Delhi on Monday when the defiant tourists were attempting to salvage a draw.

In a match which India won by 337 and Dhawan bowled 3 overs – ICC said "Dhawan's bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions. " Dhawan, who bowls off-spins, will be allowed to play on till the results of the tests are declared, the sport's governing body said.

Dhawan has made 1,308 runs in 19 Tests but has never taken a wicket from the nine overs he has bowled in those matches.  Perhaps he may not bowl again at all, if he is reported, yet, ICC has done its duty.   “அளவே இல்லாத கடமை உணர்வு”!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

9^th Dec 2015.