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ICC hits back at Crowe’s comment on chuckers by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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MD Crowe, M Muralitharan, M Muralitharan

The International Cricket Council on Thursday said it had not gone soft on bowlers with suspect actions after former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe called on officials to make sure “chuckers” were “chucked out” of the sport.

Changes to international regulations in 2005 brought about by investigations into controversial Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s action mean elite bowlers are now allowed a maximum of 15 degrees of straightening in delivery.

ICC’s general manager of cricket David Richardson defended the current system. "The facts are that some bowlers, even those never suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees. And at the same time, some bowlers that may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowling with permanently bent elbows," Richardson said.

Crowe on Tuesday had said: "If with the naked eye a bowler is clearly chucking he should be chucked out.” His speech also included a thinly veiled attack on Muralitharan when he said he’d been “dubiously bowled in a Test by a certain Sri Lankan bowler”.