Responding to Throwing

ICC has responded to the issue of throwing by getting bio-mechanical experts involved in defining and measuring throwing. Lab-testing and other tests not performed under match conditions have culminated in a call for on-field testing. The Murali haters have especially latched on to it and made the cause their own. The experts have suggested some changes to how throwing should be defined. Both would probably be loath to recommend that the simpler thing might be to give up on it all and let the bowlers bowl as they might. It might be time to explore this option and its consequences. What are the immediate consequences? The bowlers may straighten somewhat more leading to some of the advantage that has long been wrested from them to again go their way. But for most established bowlers there will not be major changes. Those on the periphery will try to experiment more in a bid to improve to the next level. Over the years there will be a lot of experimentation. It will probably take a generation of bowlers who begin bowling with the new rules to fully come to terms with how differently they can bowl from their predecessors. The Australians will probably go out and hire a pitching coach from the U.S. and some of the others will follow. It is unlikely that a lot of major baseball pitchers will make it to cricket greens considering that baseball pays a lot better. It is worth giving it a try at some league level to see what the consequences might be more clearly.