Hair calls Flower for 'throwing'

Australian umpire Darrell Hair is in the news again and yes there are no surprises. He has called yet again. This time its Zimbabwean left-arm spin bowler Grant Flower, called three times in one over for 'throwing'.

The episode happened in Flower's second over during the morning session of the fifth and final day of the first cricket Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

Flower bowled three balls successfully, but Hair no-balled three others and on each occasion held discussions with his umpiring partner Russell Tiffin and Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak over what he considered an illegal bowling action. After the third call Streak took Flower off and his over was finished by Gavin Rennie.

After playing 42 Test matches and 132 one-day internationals without ever being called for throwing, Flower, mainly an opening bat for Zimbabwe, became the second Zimbabwean to be called for throwing. The first bowler from Zimbabwe to be called for throwing was Henry Olonga.

However, Flower has been no balled before in Zimbabwe domestic cricket. Hair was recently involved in another no-balling controversy over a bowler's delivery action when he "called" Sri Lanka's unorthodox spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. The rules of cricket state that a bowler's arm must be straight when level with his shoulders and must not be bent and then straightened after his arm has reached that point.

Instances of bowlers "no-balled" for throwing in a Tests

1. Ernie Jones: Aus v Eng: Melbourne: 1897-98 (once by umpire J Phillips)
2. Tony Lock: Eng v WI: Kingston: 1953-54
3. Geoff Griffin: RSA v Eng: Lord's: 1960 (11 times by umpire FS Lee in England's only innings when he claimed a hat-trick; he did not appear in a Test match again)
4. Haseeb Ahsan: Pak v Ind: Bombay: 1960-61
5. Ian Meckiff: Aus v RSA: Brisbane: 1963-64 (Four times in his only over by CJ Egar; he subsequently announced his retirement for all class of cricket)
6. Syed Abid Ali: Ind v NZ: Christchurch: 1967-68 (Once by umpire FR Goodall; deliberately in protest against the action of GA Bartlett who was not "called" in the same match)
7. David Gower: Eng v NZ: Nottingham: 1986 (Once by KE Palmer; with scores level, he deliberately threw his only ball)
8. Henry Olonga: Zim v Pak: Harare: 1994-95 (Once by umpire ID Robinson)
9. Muthiah Muralitharan: SL v Aus: Melbourne: 1995-96 (Seven times by umpire DB Hair (bowler's end): twice in his fourth over, thrice in his fifth, twice in his sixth)
10. Grant Flower: Zim v NZ: Bulawayo: 2000-01 (Three times by umpire DB Hair (from square-leg): the 2nd, 4th and 6th deliveries bowled in his 2nd over. Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak withdrew the bowler with three balls still remaining)

Mail Cricket Editor