Pakistan’s yesteryear star Saqlain Mushtaq has stated that the ICC should review the law surrounding the 15-degrees latitude for the spinners before it becomes too late. He also insisted that the law in question has already discouraged several budding off-spinners, who have become leg-spinners.
Despite doosra being introduced in the yesteryear, with Saqlain Mushtaq bowling the variation ‘legally’ regularly in world cricket, its usage has since then reduced to nil with the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s laws in place. According to the rules, ICC only permits an elbow flexion of 15 degrees to any bowler, which in hindsight has reduced the bowlers from flexing their arms over the permissible limit.
While several off-spinners have insisted that there could be a middle-ground found to bridge the gap, none have been vociferous like Pakistan’s former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. Mushtaq stated that the apex cricketing body should review the law and insisted that the 15-degrees latitude is too little in international cricket.
“I think the ICC should review this law because the 15-degrees latitude is too little. It is discouraging players from the art of off-spin bowling,” stated Saqlain, reported India Today.
“I personally believe that one can bowl off-breaks, doosra and top spin even within the law but since it came out I have seen players who used to bowl off-spin now becoming leg-spinners or wrist spinners,” he added.
He also revealed that the laws have made the wrist spinners more in demand, with England’s Adil Rashid, Australia’s Adam Zampa and India’s Yuzvendra Chahal all thriving with the white-ball.
“It is an ongoing trend in white ball formats that teams want to have maximum wrist spinners like India has Chahal and Yadav, Australia has Adam Zampa and Swepson, England has Adil Rashid etc And this is discouraging players from taking up the art of off-spin bowling,” he added.
On the hottest topic in world cricket at the moment, Mushtaq stated that the role of spinners in the sub-continental conditions in the Middle East will always be vital, especially with dew not playing a huge role.
“Role of spinners in the subcontinent and UAE is always vital but there is no dew factor because a lot of matches are held under lights.
“If there is no dew factor they will dominate in dry conditions but to do this they must be class bowlers with a very good set of skills. It is all about bowlers who try to get away with just bowling economically and those who try to take wickets as well.”
Follow us on Facebook here
Stay connected with us on Twitter here
Like and share our Instagram page here