The international career of Indian off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan is over. And if there is evidence of chucking during the forthcoming tour of New Zealand, the same fate is likely to befall Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan and Kumar Dharmasena.
Chauhan, it may be recalled, shot into prominence during the home series against England in 1993 when he, Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju played a big role in India defeating Gooch's team 3-0. He waas also part of the team which defeated Sri lanka, Zimbabwe and New Zealand.
Chauhan was filmed after the furore over chucking which followed Muralitharan's being called for throwing during the Australian tour in 1995-96. The ICC had apparently sent a cassette of his action to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The tape was received before the World Cup last year but no action was taken; officialdom only ensured that the player was quietly dropped from the shortlist for the event.
The board has apparently made it clear to the selectors that Chauhan should not be considered for selection for any international game or called for selction trials. The off-spinner continues to play for Madhya Pradesh and Central Zone. Some senior umpires have opined that he does chuck, especially when he bowls a quicker ball. Rather than come out with the facts, the Indian board has taken the easy way out -- and in the process brushed the issue under the table. There is a feeling that he could be told to try and correct his action and not be allowed to play first-class cricket until he does so. The reasoning behind this is that it is unfair to batsmen who play against him at the national level in Ranji and Duleep Trophy etc. Some do tend to feel that if he does manage to correct his action, he could once again play for India.
The news that the two Lankan players would be under scrutiny during the New Zealand tour, which begins in March, was published by a Lankan newspaper which quoted a confidential ICC report. Muralitharan, it may be remembered, was questioned by New Zealand coach John Reid during Sri Lanka's tour in March 1995. The Sri Lankan board has denied that it has received any such instructions.
Later, during the tour of Australia, two Australian umpires no-balled Muralitharan for throwing, forcing Sri Lanka to leave him out of further matches during the tour. The Sri Lankan authorities requested international experts to carry out intensive medical and scientific tests to prove that he suffered from a congenital condition which does not allow him to straighten his arm fully and testifying that his generous wrist action sometimes makes it look as if the ball has been thrown.
On the evidence of these reports, Muralitharan went on to play an important role in his country winning the World Cup in March last year. He has also played in one-day tournaments in Singapore, Kenya, Sharjah and at home, without being called for throwing. Dharmasena is among a short list of six bowlers which the ICC released in December 1995 as bowlers with suspect bowling action, the Daily News reported. The ICC recently appointed a committee to investigate bowlers with suspect action. Both Muralitharan and Dharmasena are included in the squad which was named on February 5.