Akhtar in chucking row again: report

LONDON, MAY 14. Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is once again in the centre of a chucking controversy with the British media on Sunday reporting that the International Cricket Council has instructed the Pakistan team management that the young tearaway should not be played till his action was scrutinised afresh by the world body.

The Sunday Telegraph on Sunday reported that Akhtar, in Barbados with the touring Pakistan team, was pulled out of the current four-day tie against West Indies `A' at the last minute on instructions from ICC, which wanted to take another look at his action.

The 24-year-old paceman was suspended for chucking by ICC Throwing Committee in December last year, but ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya controversially cleared him to play on an appeal by the Pakistan Board (PCB) in January.

Akhtar, due to arrive at Nottinghamshire next month on a lucrative contract, missed last week's first Test in Guyana with a groin injury and even though Pakistan captain Moin Khan announced on Thursday that he would play against West Indies A, he was withdrawn the next day due to a side strain.

The paper said he was pulled out because ICC asked for Akhtar not to play until it viewed the video footage in the only game he has so far played on the Caribbean tour, the deciding tie of the one- day tri-series final against the West Indies in Trinidad.

Akhtar took two wickets in his 10 overs despite, according to Moin, being reluctant to bowl citing injuries. The film will be viewed by ICC's Throwing Committee, whose powers were reduced by Dalmiya earlier this year when the Pakistani paceman's action was first questioned, the Sunday Telegraph said.

ICC had announced in February it had revoked the powers of the throwing panel to ban bowlers with suspect actions. Dalmiya had announced in Singapore after an Executive Committee meeting that the throwing panel would ``no longer ban a player with a suspect action until such time as there has been a full review by the ICC of that power and related procedures.''

He had said the onus would now be on respective national bodies to take action when the panel reported a bowler with a ``suspect'' action.

The Throwing Committee suspended the fast bowler from international cricket after Pakistan's third Test in Perth last year, following a report by umpires Darrel Hair and Peter Willey and match referee John Reid that Akhtar's action was suspect, in particular while sending down bouncers.

Akhtar undertook remedial steps under the guidance of legendary Aussie paceman Dennis Lillee in Brisbane and played in the one- day tri-series held in January.

Now Akhtar keeps his right arm straighter in his delivery stride and his left arm higher as he bowls, which everybody in Pakistan cricket thought had solved the problem, the report said.

- PTI

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