Akram Slams ICC

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram today castigated the International Cricket Council for its lack of coherent policy on chucking and came down hard on it for questioning the actions of his compatriots Shabbir Ahmed and Shoaib Malik. "The ICC has no policy on the issue of bowling actions. How else can you explain why Shabbir, whose action had been cleared twice earlier, once again finds it questioned," the former left-arm pace bowler told reporters at a function here in India announce the winners of a speed bowling contest. "I can't understand what this 15 degree angle (permissible bent elbow angle by the ICC's rules governing the issue) is all about. If I can't understand it how can a layman know what it means," queried Akram. The bowling actions of both these Pakistan bowlers are to be reviewed by the ICC following they were reported by the umpires after the first test between Pakistan and England in Multan earlier this month. Their actions would be reviewed by ICC-approved biomechanist Prof Bruce Eliot of Australia. They remain eligible to play international cricket pending the submission of reports to the world governing council for the game by Prof Eliot. Akram also wondered why no bowler from England, Australia or South Africa has been questioned over his bowling action even as bowlers from the Indian sub-continent continue to be singled out for corrective action. "It's because we don't have enough representation on the ICC," the fast bowling great said.