1 December 1999

Bowling or throwing - is it cricket?

The recent reporting of Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhatar to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a suspect bowling action following the final Australian Test once again highlights the controversy over the unorthodox action of some international cricketers. Are they bowling or throwing the ball?

This argument could soon be settled following an ergonomics study of the bowling action of Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka by ergonomist Dr Ravindra Goonetilleke of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Muttiah Muralidaran was accused of throwing the ball seven times during a match in Australia on Boxing Day 1995. Computerised analysis of the results of Dr Goonetilleke’s investigations revealed that Mr Muralidaran’s bowling action showed ‘absolutely no straightening of the arm’ and is legitimate according to the ICC rules.

Muttiah took part in the study in Hong Kong over three days’ continuous testing in February 1996, involving hundreds of overs and every type of delivery: off-break, arm ball and leg-spin. An electrogoniometer was used to measure Muttiah’s elbow angles and a force-sensing resistor was attached to his spinning finger to indicate the exact moment of ball release.

Ravindra Goonetilleke said: "ICC rules state that throwing in cricket is illegal, because it can give an advantage to a bowler by imparting significant speed and/or spin on to a ball. This makes it difficult for a batsman to defend the wicket.

 

 

"Throwing can go undetected due to the speed of arm movement and the visual limitations of the umpire. Even the use of high-speed motion cameras to detect the legality of the action are not perfect and demand a large time commitment to review the tapes frame by frame."

"Several international cricketers have been accused of contravening ICC law 24.2 governing throwing, including England’s Tony Lock and Geoff Cope, Geoff Griffin of South Africa, Australian Ian Meckiff and Charlie Griffith of West Indies."

"Our research utilised a highly reliable and accurate method which can be used under match conditions as the equipment is portable and light-weight. The technique can help umpires to minimise errors and assist young players who are developing their bowling skills."

Joe Langford, a spokesman for the Ergonomics Society, added: "Ergonomics is more usually associated with issues such as RSI or unravelling the complexities of computer interface design. However, as any ergonomist knows, the subject is much broader than that and can be applied in virtually any context involving human beings - as studies such as Ravindra’s clearly show."

Ends

Note to editors:

The Ergonomics Society, founded in 1949, is an association of over one thousand ergonomists throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. Members include ergonomists, psychologists, physiologists, industrial designers, engineers, occupational health physicians, and architects.

The Ergonomics Society , sponsors of "The Human Factor - designing products, places and jobs for people", the highly successful exhibition at the Science Museum, London, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1999.

For further information please contact Sheila Longden or Vicki Baxter at:

Baxter Hulme PR and Marketing, 01625 617611.