Sunil Narine suspension: Implications on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), CLT20 and its repercussions on cricket

Sunil Narine is suspended for the CLT20 2014 final due to suspected bowling action.

Updated: October 3, 2014 3:24 PM IST

By Editorial

Sunil Narine suspension: Implications on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), CLT20 and its repercussions on cricket

Suspensions galore but where do the officials and the governing body stem the rot and find streamlined solutions to the recurring theme of bowlers violating the 15 degree limit for bent elbows? With an initial warning notwithstanding, Sunil Narine has yet again been found guilty of chucking and open the can of worms in that of the part of the game that has seen so much hoopla surrounding it for two months.

Sitting out for the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) final will certainly handicap the reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, in pursuit of their maiden win in the tournament. With the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) change in fortunes coinciding with the West Indian’s arrival into the team setup, the void is impossible to fill. Narine being one of the hardest bowler for any batsmen to score off has proven to be unequivocally true over the years, but what next?

The Good

Players being found guilty for chucking is not a phenomenon that cropped up yesterday. Big names have been under the scanner in the past as well. From Muttiah Muralitharan’s tribulations with Australian umpires in the 1990’s to Shoaib Akhtar, unconventional bowling actions has always raised an eyebrow or two whenever they have emerged. After lesser known or part time bowlers being found guilty, big names are in the fray again. Weeks ago, it was Pakistan’s mercurial Saeed Ajmal and now Narine. Fans of the game have whispered about the legitimacy of these players’ bowling actions in hushed tones in the past but the law has decided to take a zero-tolerance stand on law-‘benders’.

The Bad

Rewinding the clock a little bit, a Johan Botha here, a Marlon Samuels there hardly ruffled any feathers of the connoisseurs of the game. Weeks ago, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) banned 16 bowlers from bowling in domestic cricket having been issued more than one warning.  This was in the wake of the officials penalizing Ajmal, which also culminated in and former T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez being found on the wrong side of the law.

The way forward

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We have had the Decision Review System (DRS), the hotspot and several minor ways in which technology has been integrated into the game.  Across various sports, certain intricate details that has come in for a lot of debate when seen with the naked eye is settled within a few seconds with replays. With the fast paced evolution that we have seen in recent times, a sure-shot way to detect an elbow that extends beyond the permissible limit is the need of the hour. In a testing lab, its logical that bowler in question will play it safe to not step over the demarcated line. During a game, sensors which allow the umpires or the officials in charge to clearly spot the culprits there and then will be a crucial breakthrough.

The controversial ‘Doosra’ has seen spinners liberally stretching the limit in the garb of long sleeves has become a menace to the sport.  The game of cricket too, has been impoverished with champion bowlers like a Narine and Ajmal spending their time away from the sport ironing out their bowling action. Coaches at the grassroots have also sent SOS messages to straighten an aspiring cricketer’s arm at an early age too. Whether born with a deformity or not, 15 degrees is an acceptable bend and a foolproof way to detect this problem is critical.

By R Vishal

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