Black-list: 177 chuckers, 110 fined for indiscipline
A total of 177 bowlers were reported with suspect actions in the last one-and-half seasons, 110 players from across India were either reprimanded or fined by the umpires for disciplinary indiscretions in 2015 and 25 teams and captains were charged for slow over rate in matches across various age-group levels, including women cricketers, by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Eight of the bowlers, who were reported, were tested at Chennai’s SRMC and subsequently not allowed to bowl. Mumbai opener Akhil Herwadkar, incidentally, was barred twice in the same year across two seasons—once in January after a match against Tamil Nadu and against the same team in October.
Mumbai’s Akhil Herwadkar
These are just some of the highlights of the Code of Conduct & Suspect Action List, which has been accessed by The Indian Express, and it’s clear that the umpires have come down hard on bowlers and captains alike when it comes to flouting the rules.
BCCI’s general manager game development, Ratnakar Shetty, said that the Indian board has empowered its umpires to not show any leniency towards suspect actions.
“In fact this year, an umpire workshop happened in Chennai-SRMC, where we had a session on how to detect suspect actions and what should be the reporting system. We don’t want people with unfair actions to be playing. Most of the suspect action cases are mostly found at the junior levels, the under-16 and under-19 categories,” Shetty said.
According to Shetty, each state association has a major role to play in trying to step in and eradicate the evil of chucking at a junior level.
“Coaches are responsible for this,” Shetty points out. “It’s the state association’s responsibility to ensure that they take measures to help the cricketers with suspect actions to overcome the problem. At least one association I know,
Karnataka, have formed a committee to monitor junior cricketers.”
Mumbai’s promising under-19 left-arm spinner Sidak Singh had to miss out on a shot for selection for the U-19 World Cup as he was called in a match just before the selectors picked the squad for the junior Challenger Trophy.
“When associations announce their 25 probables list, their coaches work with them for one month. That’s where the problem needs to be solved,” Shetty added.
Earlier this year, Rahul Dravid had welcomed the moves by the board to curb dodgy actions in domestic cricket at various levels. He also said this issue needs to be addressed seriously at the junior and schools level by the players’ coaches. “There was a time in Indian domestic cricket there were so many bowlers with dodgy action. It’s good that they have now decided to eradicate it. I welcome it,” Dravid had said in April.
“I support it for a variety of reasons. People talk about these bowlers getting punished, but what about batsmen who face them and whose careers get ruined? What about other bowlers who have clean actions but are sidelined in favour of these bowlers and are then lost to the game. We all can see this particular bowler has a different action, a dodgy action. What’s to be done about it. You have to correct him at the junior level. The message has to percolate to the grassroots level of the game.”
Bengal’s bad boys
Meanwhile, based on the numbers, Bengal is the worst-behaved team, across various age-group levels. Eight of their players have been found guilty of breaching the code of ethics, with Pramod Chandila having been fined 10 per cent of his match-fee during the Ranji Trophy twice in this period.
Delhi is a close-second with nine offences led by Ranji captain and India opener Gautam Gambhir, who was the biggest offender having been fined 70 per cent—for his infamous altercation with Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary—and 10 per cent on two separate occasions. The duo was involved in an ugly spat during their Ranji tie at Feroz Shah Kotla, using abusive language while Gambhir reportedly threatened to ‘beat’ Tiwary.
Haryana most well behaved
Haryana Cricket Association is the best behaved association as none of its players were reported in any of the men’s or women’s categories.
Tamil Nadu’s T Natarajan (right)
State of affairs on the domestic circuit
Delhi: Nine players were charged for indiscipline. Captain Gautam Gambhir had to cop fine of 70% and 10% of his match fee.
Mumbai: Surya Kumar Yadav was docked 50% of his match fee during a game against Andhra.
Hyderabad: Three under-19 players and pacer Sudeep Tyagi were reprimanded by the match referee.
Tripura: Abhijeet Dey was fined 10% and a U-19 player reprimanded.
Andhra: DB Prashant and AG Pradeep were docked 50% in one game.
Baroda: No fine was imposed on the players but seven players, including a U-19 guy, were reprimanded.
Assam: Coach Sanath Kumar was hauled up and Arun Karthick was docked 20% match fee.
Bengal: Manoj Tiwari and Laxmi Ratan Shukla were fined 10% and 20%. Nine from Bengal were pulled up by the referees.
Kerala: Among the five charged, under-19 player S Nazir was fined 20%.
Jharkhand: Ishank Jaggi was charged with 20% of his match fee.
Railways: While captain Mahesh Rawat and Karn Sharma were reprimanded once, Anureet Singh was fined 20%.
Uttar Pradesh: Praveen Kumar was fined 30% and wicketkeeper-batsman Eklavya Dwivedi was handed 50% fine.
Himachal pradesh: Rishi Dhawan was the only player pulled up by the ref.
Maharashtra: Ankit Bawane was docked 20% and three others hauled up.
Punjab: Manan Vohra was once handed a 20% fine. He was also reprimanded once.
Team Rajasthan: Two under 19 players were pulled up.
Karnataka: Six players, including KL Rahul and Manish Pandey, were pulled up. CM Gautam had to cop fines of 20% and 10%.
Tamil Nadu: K Bharat Shankar of under 23 was twice charged with 10 percent and 50 percent of his match fees against Gujarat under 23. Whereas in senior side two players were left with warning.
Odisha: Basant Mohanty was fined 20% and two others reprimanded.
Gujarat: Himalaya Bardia was docked 20% in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match.
Saurashtrta: Two players were reprimanded
Vidarbha: Shrikhant Wagh was fined 60% and four players sanctioned.
Madhya Pradesh: One under 19 player reprimanded
Jammu & Kashmir: One under 16 player was hauled up
Goa: One under 19 player reprimanded
Services: Khalil Ahmed was fined 50% and two more pulled up
Action, reaction
Bowlers reported, tested and barred from bowling
# Akhil Herwadkar (Mumbai) during Ranji Trophy twice, January 2015 and October 2015
# SKM Basha (Andhra) during Ranji Trophy, December 2014
# Ankush Jaiswal (Mumbai) during Ranji Trophy, November 2015
# T Natarajan (Tamil Nadu) during Ranji Trophy, January 2015
# Jesal Karia (Gujarat) during Senior One Dayers, December 2015
# Kavish Panchal (Gujarat) during Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19), December 2015
# Chandan Sahani (Hyderabad) during Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19), December 2015
# Surya Teja (Hyderabad) during Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), October 2014
Bowlers who have been called in a match
# Ishank Jaggi (Jharkhand) during Interstate ODIs, November 2014
# Karun Bidhuri (Delhi) during Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), October 2014
# Ritik CP Singh (Himachal Pradesh) during Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), October 2014
# Basu Das (Tripura) during Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), November 2014
Bowlers reported twice and not allowed to bowl
# N S Vineel Kumar (Andhra) both during CK Nayudu Trophy (U-23), December 2014
# Sarupam Purkayastha (Assam) both during Ranji Trophy, October/December 2015
# Ankit Dindod (Gujarat) both during Vinoo Mankad Trophy (U-19), October 2014
# Abrar Kazi (Karnataka) both during Ranji Trophy, January & February 2015
# Manish Pandey (Karnataka) both during Ranji Trophy, January 2015
# Ankit Bawne (Maharashtra) once during Interstate ODI then Deodhar Trophy, November & December 2014
# Paras Ratnaparkhe (Maharashtra) once during Vinoo Mankad Trophy (U-19) then Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19),
October & November 2015
# Shubham Joshi (Madhya Pradesh) both during Vijay Merchant (U-16) knockouts, January 2015
# Pratik Das (Odisha), both during domestic T20s, March 2015
# Dhawal Solanki (Saurashtra), both during Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), October 2014
# Varun Palandurkar (Vidarbha), both during Vinoo Mankad Trophy (U-19), October 2015
Bowlers reported in two separate seasons
# Shamsher Yadav (Haryana) both during CK Nayudu Trophy (U-23), December 2014 & October 2015
# Akshay Agarwal (Vidarbha) both during Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19), November 2014 & November 2015
# David Shahare (Vidarbha) both during Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19), December 2014 & November 2015
Bowlers in women’s cricket reported twice
# Jwala Devi Jat (Team Rajasthan) during Senior Women’s T20, January & November 2015
# Disha Kasat (Vidarbha) once during Sr Women’s ODI and then U-19 Women’s, December 2014 & September 2015
# Bhakti Shastri (Saurashtra), both during Sr Woman’s ODIs, December 2014
# Shobhita Bamne (Mumbai), both during Women’s U-19, September & October 2015
# Devyani Prasad (Jharkhand) both Women’s U-19, November 2014
# Shiuli Chakraborty (Tripura) both during Women’s U-19, October 2014 & September 2015
