CONCERNING the doosra, Australia is thinking of turning the other way.

The finger spinner’s wrong-’un had been thought a physiological impossibility until the International Cricket Council began bending the rules to accommodate the bending of the arms. At present, the allowable deviation is 15 per cent.

But at a spin-bowling summit in Brisbane last month, a coterie of former Test spinners decided that they would not teach the doosra to young Australian bowlers because, in their collective opinion, it offends the laws of the game.

Writing in the Adelaide Review, off-spinning great Ashley Mallett said: ‘‘There was unanimous agreement that the off-spinner’s ‘other-one’, the doosra, should not be coached in Australia. I have never seen anyone actually bowl the doosra. It has to be a chuck. Until such time as the ICC declares that all manner of chucking is legal in the game of cricket, I refuse to coach the doosra. All at the spin summit agreed.’’

‘‘All’’ included leg-spinners Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill, Jim Higgs, Terry Jenner and Peter Philpott, offies Gavin Robertson and Mallett, as well as Australian chairman of selectors Read more…

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