No special treatment for Shoaib: ICC

Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar will not be treated as a special case after being reported for a suspect bowling action at a recent tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director Brigadier Munawar Rana had sent a personal letter to the ICC asking for any inquiry into Shoaib's bowling action to be dealt with by a special sub-committee of the organisation's cricket committee.

But ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed's reply says: "Having discussed your request with the ICC President, I am unable to agree to treat this as a special case outside the carefully established process to deal with matters of this kind."

Speed's letter was made public on the PCB's website.

Shoaib, 26, was reported for the third time since December 1999 after the recent triangular tournament in Sharjah.

Rana told Reuters earlier this week that the problem for Shoaib, one of the world's fastest bowlers known as the "Rawalpindi Express", lies in his "peculiar physiology".

He said Shoaib had been put through stage one of the ICC bowling action review process and experts had declared that he did not throw the ball but had a physiological problem of hyper-mobility in the joints of his bowling arm.

But Speed's letter emphasised that the original ICC process for dealing with bowlers with suspect actions was changed -- largely because the PCB was unhappy with it -- after Shoaib was first reported and suspended in Australia in 1999.

MEDICAL REPORT

The ICC's new three stage process was introduced in December 2000, with the full support of all members, including the PCB.

"Having expressed concern over the old process and supported the change to the new regime, it is very disappointing to find that the PCB is now querying the implementation of Stage Two with regard to Shoaib Akhtar," said Speed.

The PCB's letter had stressed that before the ICC takes any further steps it should give a clear decision on a medical report prepared on Shoaib earlier this year by the University of Western Australia's department of bio-mechanics.

This was accepted and endorsed by the PCB as evidence of the legality of Shoaib's action, noted Speed.

But in his reply he says: "It is self-evident that a finding by the PCB in April 2001 that its bowler's action is not illegal, does not guarantee that it will always be so.

"Clearly, the ICC and other Boards are not bound by the internal decisions of the PCB."

"A positive finding under Stage One of the process is not a licence to throw. Every bowler's action is open to continual scrutiny and review and this is clearly catered for by Stages Two and Three of the process".

HOLDING APPOINTMENT

The ICC has named West Indian Michael Holding as bowling advisor to Shoaib, but the PCB's Rana has made clear that the appointment is not appropriate at this time.

"We have said in our letter that Holding is among the greats and greatly respected in the cricket world and we share that feeling for him. But we don't think at this stage his coming to Pakistan will serve any purpose," said Rana.

Holding had been expected to visit Pakistan later in November.

Speed's letter stresses that the ICC cannot, and would not, seek to force Shoaib to have counselling on his bowling action. If the PCB formally declines to comply with stage two of the process, the ICC said it would notify all umpires and referees.

This would effectively conclude stage two and Shoaib could continue to play, having forfeited the opportunity to work with one of the world's greatest and most knowledgeable fast bowlers, said the ICC.

"The reporting or calling of bowlers has historically been a highly charged and sensitive issue," said Speed.

"One of the major objectives of the new system is to take a much less confrontational approach to the matter and to maximise the chances of a player alleged to have an illegal action to be rehabilitated and stay in the game.

"The ICC also has a wider duty to protect the interests of the game and the players. This extends to players alleged to have an illegal action as well as those who have to bat against bowlers with allegedly illegal actions," he added.

The ICC and PCB are still trying to resolve the issue. The PCB has said it would support Shoaib if he went to court to try to have his controversial bowling action declared legal.

Mail Cricket Editor