Travel  |  Business World  |  Women's World  |  Entertainment

Change Your Life!

Akhtar reported by Dunedin umpires, heading home

News
Sports
Chat
Travel
Dhaka Today
Yellow Pages
Higher Education
Ask a Doctor
Weather
Currency Rate
Horoscope
E-Cards
B2K Poll
Comment on the Site
B2K Club

March 3, 2001 

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been reported for his suspect bowling action by New Zealand umpires Steve Dunne and Doug Cowie, and he is to return home tomorrow.

New Zealand Cricket umpiring manager Brian Aldridge said today that the two umpires made their report after last night's four-wicket victory at Carisbrook in Dunedin which gave the CLEAR Black Caps a 3-2 series win over Pakistan.

Akhtar who took five wickets in Pakistan's first match of the series at Eden Park in Auckland was roundly accused of throwing by many people in that match.

Incredibly, at the post-match press conference Akhtar said he wanted to announce to the world that he had made absolutely no changes to his action since the previous time he was reported, in Australia last summer. He said he didn't believe he was throwing, which was in defiance of the opinions of the International Cricket Council's then committee on bowlers' actions.

That committee was disbanded and replaced with a new process - a process that is now on trial as a result of Akhtar's reporting last night.

He played in the next match in Napier and bowled several very fast balls at New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming before sliding on damp ground and injuring his left quadricep muscle and limping from the ground.

He missed the next two games but returned to the side yesterday, despite not having bowled at full speed during the practice session before the game on Tuesday.

He bowled several deliveries measured at 151km/h in the Dunedin game before once again aggravating the quadricep injury and limping from the field.

Akhtar walked from the ground with shoulders hunched and his face buried in his jersey obviously as a result of his frustration.

However, later in the innings he returned and bowled four more overs off a much reduced run-up.

It was obvious during the height of his first spell that New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was unimpressed that Akhtar was getting away with his action.

He looked long and hard at square leg umpire Cowie at one stage and at the end of an over was several times in long discussion with him between balls.

At the end of the game the umpires were in their room in discussion with match referee Ranjan Madugalle for a long time after the game had ended.

Madugalle informed the Pakistan management of the report.

The International Cricket Council has formally notified the Pakistan Cricket Board of the situation and a copy of the television coverage of Akhtar's bowling in the match will be couriered to the ICC in London. The PCB will also receive a copy.

The process now requires the PCB to convene a group of bowling advisors to review the umpires' report and work with Shoaib Akhtar to address the concerns raised.

The time frame for this review process is six weeks and during the period concerned he is still allowed to play international cricket.

However, the Pakistan team management has confirmed that Akhtar will leave for home tomorrow, a decision they say was made before the report was made and is unconnected to that matter.

Three players have been named to join the Pakistan side in New Zealand for the Test leg of the tour. They are off spinner Arshad Khan, middle order batsman Younis Khan and wicket-keeper Humayun Farhat.

More than three players will return home and the players concerned will be named tomorrow.

Courtesy: CricInfo