‘Finger spinners always under scrutiny’

Elliot acknowledged that the proposed rule change to 15-degree tolerance level would allow the vast majority of bowlers to bowl with an accepted action.

At the Sports Science Conference in Cape Town before the 2003 World Cup, researchers examined visual evidence of 34 deliveries from fast bowlers from five different nations and subjected them to 3-D analysis, which is the scientific test to check whether the bowler is chucking.

In those 34 deliveries, they found that there was elbow straightening in every delivery that was bowled — the range was from 3 degrees to 22 degrees. Elliot believes that if the regulations change to 15 degrees then Muthiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh will be able to bowl the doosra without any problems.

Refuting allegations that only Asian bowlers were being targeted, Elliott said that finger spinners just happen to use the ‘bent arm’ preparation, which puts them under the scanner.

Interestingly, though he’s been involved with cricket since the late seventies, Elliott says he’s ‘‘not passionate’’ about the game.

His research work has been primarily on ensuring fast bowlers do not suffer back injuries or as he puts it ‘working on technique from a performance perspective’.

With cricket evolving rapidly, Elliot believes that after physiotherapists and physical trainers biomechanists are the next entrants to dressing rooms to improve performance and reduce the likelihood of injury.