Cricket: Smith hits back at claims Hadlee chucked

4.00pm

For the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allege cricketing greats such as Sir Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee and Imran Khan threw the ball is "grossly insulting and degrading to the history of cricket", according to NZ great Ian Smith.

He said: "The trio would have been utterly shocked with such allegations. To be heaped with praise over the years and having been named in the best teams in the world then be called a chucker is an absolute insult.

Smith, now a respected TV commentator, said the ICC had let the issue of chucking get out of hand over the years.

"The use of scientists has transgressed the rules to the letter of the law by degrading not only fast bowling but also Hadlee, Lillee and company who have been purists and models for bowlers.

"There's one (controversial bowler) whose name is screamed out as a great bowler. You know who it is," the former Central Districts player said of Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

He said Muralitharan had been questioned since his first match.

"People were asking: 'What the hell is this?' After one delivery he was banned and then reinstated. His name will forever be associated with his action rather than his bowling achievements."

Smith also lambasted the Australians, saying they had a vested interest in conducting tests to justify and influence the illegal arm-bending tactics.

"Over the years they had bowlers like Ian Meckiff who was a chucker. He was taken out so he never came back. Brett Lee is the other, so they are not fighting back in any regard.

"It's a ludicrous system now that is pointing fingers at great bowlers with flippant comments," said Smith who played 63 test matches and 98 one-day internationals for New Zealand, from 1980-92.

As a TV broadcaster, Smith and fellow commentator and former New Zealand test captain Jeremy Coney caused a furore in the 2002 season when they aired their concerns about the legitimacy of the bowling action of Black Caps and Auckland pace bowler Kyle Mills.

He said television played a major role in detecting illegitimate actions as in the case of Pakistani quick Shoaib Akhtar.

Smith did not agree that the ICC's proposal to allow up to a 15-degree of bending of the bowling arm could mean injecting some excitement and entertainment into a code notorious for its rigid rules.

"Allowing bowlers to chuck the ball will also mean the dismissal of batsmen. Why should the batsmen be on the receiving end?"

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY