Give Jack His Jacket - on Murai's Bowling

My grandmother in Barbados used to say, "Give Jack His Jacket".  Her meaning was, praise a person for their good deeds regardless of their colour, class or religion.

I have been coaching Cricket since 1961 and subsequently I became a qualified Umpire. After my playing days in Barbados I did my coaching apprenticeship at the Alf Glover Cricket School, in East Hill, Wandsworth, London under the expert eyes of Arthur Wellard and Joe Skelton. 

Mr. Wellard taught me that to become a good coach I had to acquire tunnel vision.  If I was watching a bowler, I should make sure that his shoulders and hips were in alignment in the delivery stride. If I was worried about his foot placement, I should only focus on his feet and of course if there was a question of chucking, I should only focus on the elbow and arm of the hand holding the ball.

When Sri Lanka came to Australia in 199-96 I was asked by Professor Michael Roberts (a Sri Lankan who really knows his cricket) for my opinion of two off spinners.  I watched them both closely and told him that I thought the taller lad Dharmasena was chucking his faster ball, but the shorter one's arm was bent throughout the delivery and he did not chuck. The shorter fellow I came to know was Murali.

Since then, Murali has been no-balled and has to undertake numerous tests to prove that his delivery is legal and he has passed every one in Australia , England , Hong Kong and Sri Lanka and today he is the greatest wicket-taker of all time and indeed the best spin bowler that has ever walked on grass.

Now that he has broken the record, many people who should know better have criticised his action.  Isn't this an insult to all the Doctors and Officials who conducted the tests?  Isn't it an insult to all the honest Umpires who have stood at square leg and were satisfied with his action? 

Some years ago an Australian Prime Minister created a "White Australian Policy" and some of this racist attitude seems to still exist.  It is my belief that if Murali played for Australia or England everybody would be singing his praises.

Opinions on chucking are personal. I know many great players who thought Brian Statham, the English fast bowler chucked. Some thought Ian Johnson, the Australian Captain's elbow straightened just prior to point of delivery. I thought Ramadhin chucked his quicker ball as did Tony Lock but they were never called so we batted against them without criticism.

I hope the little master Murali goes on to take a thousand test wickets.  He takes his wickets regardless of the condition of the wicket or the condition of the ball. He does not have to wait for the latter part of a test match to bowl into foot marks to get batsmen out as another great spin bowler does.

By Joe Hoad