He delivered his off-spinners with an easy, high-arm action. So much so that he recalled, “Some said it was a lazy action.”
It was also a clean action with a lovely side-on release.
John Emburey, former England captain and off-spinner, believes cricket should be played within its rules. In other words, there is no room for bowlers with illegal action.
“Then it becomes two sets of rules for the same game. It’s not fair on those with a proper action,” he said.
The 62-year-old Emburey, here as a radio commentator for the ongoing series, shared his views with The Hindu in an exclusive interview on Friday.
The English off-spinner, who claimed 147 wickets in 64 Tests and was a handy lower-order batsman, said, “When a finger spinner shows the back of his hand to the batsmen, he is going to bend and straighten his arm.”
He felt it was unfair to put the entire blame on bowlers with suspect actions. “The bowlers are often victims of their own success. People who allowed them to get there are to be blamed more.”
ICC actionEmburey was pleased that the ICC was finally taking action against the erring bowlers. “Now, someone is standing up and taking decisions. Actually, the 15-degree flexion rule created the confusion and the problem. Now we have bowlers flexing their arms twice that limit.”
The former Middlesex skipper said, “I would like to see the spinners use their body more. When they deliver chest on, the hip drive through to the crease and the follow through is not there. So your action becomes vulnerable. When you are side on, you also get the drift away from the batsman.”
He said Saeed Ajmal’s foot often pointed towards extra cover after release, instead of being a lot straighter.
Is it possible to bowl the doosra with a legal action? Emburey replied, “Not really. The only way to do so legally is like what Ashwin does. He flicks the ball forward with his third finger.”
Asked about the ideal line for an off-spinner, Emburey said, “eight to 10 inches outside the off-stump if the wicket turns. Even if the ball goes through straight, the batsman would play and miss. If the surface does not offer turn, then you need to bowl a little closer to the off-stump.”
Impatient captainsHe said many captains these days did not understand spin and spinners. “We have wrong field placements and strategies. Several captains are just not patient enough.”
Somebody who relished the bounce, Emburey had success in Australia and played his part with 18 scalps in the series as England triumphed in the Ashes down under in 1986-87.
“My strength was line and length. Because I had a high-arm action, I could get bounce,” he said.
On the two off-spinners on view in this series, Emburey said, “Ashwin is a good bowler. Had he played in Adelaide where there were footmarks for him, the result might have been different. Lyon bowls at a good pace, rips it, has flight and gets it to dip.”
Gavaskar, Tendulkar bestGoing down memory lane, Emburey said Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar were the best Indian batsmen he bowled at.
He added, “Vishwanath could play some delicate shots late which would leave you infuriated. Vengsarkar was a fine orthodox batsman who stayed tall.”
Emburey said, “Nobody flighted the ball in the manner Bedi did. And if you ask me, Swann is the best off-spinner, with a clean action, after Fred Titmus and Prasanna.”
