Doosra cannot be bowled legally: Holding

BARBADOS - Pakistani spinners, with their bowling doosras, have played a significant role in the team’s two easy wins against the West Indies in the current One-day series, but former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding has questioned the legality of the delivery.

The spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi have bowled 60 overs so far, picking up eight wicket amongst them.

Hafeez and Ajmal, with their doosras, have foxed the West Indies batsmen with ease and pose a major threat for the remainder of the series.

Holding, however, has his reservations.

”My belief regarding the doosra is very clear, I don’t think it can be bowled legally,” said Holding while commentating during the second One-day International in St.Lucia.

The Jamaican said his main arguement over the the doosra is it cannot be bowled from the wrist alone and the use of the elbow is unavoidable.

”I find it difficult to believe any human being can bowl that delivery with his wrist alone, the elbow has to be used for the power. It’s a matter of how much elbow power the bowler uses and the ICC obviously believes some bowlers use less than the 15 degrees and others don’t, as only some bowlers actions are questioned and reported,” PakPassion.net quoted Holding as saying.

The current International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines state that while the ball is being bowled, the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out. If the elbow straightens illegally, then the square-leg umpire may call a no-ball.

The present law allows a bowler to straighten his arm 15 degrees or less.