Lankan advice may help

Former Indian left-arm spinner Maninder Singh cautioned, “The whole things needs to be finished fast or it can ruin the career of a promising young cricketer.”

The story began when BCCI received a letter from ICC on October 16 directing them to keep him out of the national team until he undergoes corrective measures.

BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele informed that the microscope was focused on Harbhajan after Peter van der Merwe and Rajan Madugulle, the match referees in the two triangular one-day series inwhich Harbhajan played, smelled something fishy. The case then went to ICC’s throwing committee. The panel which includes greats like Clyde Walcott, Michael Holding and Kapil Dev reviewed Harbhajan’s video tapes and nailed him.

As of now Harbhajan could be sent abroad to iron out the flaws as was the case with Rajesh Chauhan, who was sent to England for his action therapy.

But Lele said he could also be put under our own spin greats like Erapalli Prasanna or Srinivas Venkatraghavan.

Maninder too was off the same view saying that we have a number of Dronacharya Award winners coaches who are capable of handling Harbhajan so there is no point in sending him abroad.

The former Test star said that though Harbhajan’s action is not very clean the ICC action comes as a surprise. “He has played two Tests and a number of one-dayers and first class matches but has never been called for chucking,” he argued.

Muttiah Murlitharan was no balled by umpires for chucking but the Sri Lankan board stood by him. It istime the Indian board look across the fence for some good neighbourly advise.