TNN
Centurion, May 2: Everybody saw it coming but nobody was willing to speak about it. Team Jaipur player Kamran Khan’s bowling action had been raising quite a few eyebrows in the Indian Premier league.
On Thursday evening though, the bubble finally burst and the left-arm-seamer’s action was reported to be ‘suspect’ by field umpires Rudi Koertzen and Gary Baxter after the team’s match against Team Chennai on Thursday evening.
Until then, players who had either faced the bowler or even seen him bowl were speaking in hushed tones about
his action.
Koertzen and Baxter observed that Khan’s action was suspect on certain deliveries. This occurred to them when, after the match, they obtained video footages of the bowler and examined it thoroughly in presence of third umpire Amish Saheba.
The trio took the decision that further action was necessary under section 24/3 of the MCC laws of cricket and the matter has now been referred to match referee GR Viswanath.
TOI had asked Team Delhi captain Virender Sehwag and Team Jaipur skipper Shane Warne about it after Delhi had lost to Jaipur at Centurion on Tuesday. Sehwag said, "How can I say anything? You have to ask the umpires about it," while Warne smirked and said he "doesn’t find anything wrong" with
the action. Nevertheless, one of the umpires did confirm to TOI that Khan does "chuck" deliveries when he’s trying to pitch it anywhere short of good length.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said he has received a copy of the umpires report and the footage and the matter has been referred to the team management of Jaipur and the IPL’s technical committee. Future course of action will be decided on a further date.