Jones and Richards slam Emerson

Brisbane, Nov 5: With the commencement of the Test series, hopefully the furore on the Shoaib Akhtar affair (or I should say non-affair as there was nothing to be raised in the first place) will now subside.

It has unnecessarily been a major issue and, to put it bluntly, it is nothing short of a disgrace on part of Australia that the matter should have come up at all. It does not, however, surprise me that a major incident has occurred in this country which, surely, has been aimed to put undue pressure on a touring side and particularly on a bowler with great potential and who poses the biggest threat to the home side.

Umpire Ross Emerson who set the matter alight is notorious for creating a stir and it was only last season when he triggered a storm of controversy after no-balling Muttiah Muralitharan in Adelaide. It infuriated the Sri Lankans as their bowler's action had been cleared by ICC. At no time has any doubt been raised on Shoaib's action and he has performed superbly in both forms of cricket. Not long ago when the eyes of the world were upon him during the World Cup in England, no questions were raised on his action, on the contrary, he was regarded as one of the star performers of the tournament. It has resulted in the English county club Nottinghamshire signing him up as their overseas player.

What this matter has done is to put further blemish on umpire Emerson who had already been stood down by the Australian Cricket Board from international duties. If a bowler is called a 'chucker', which is what Emerson has implied in the case of Shoaib, then it amounts to nothing less than saying that the bowler is a cheat. Emerson stood in the match when he called Muralitharan for throwing while he was on fully paid medical leave from his work. Despite saying to his employers that he was stressed and therefore not fit to work, he took the additional, lucrative job of umpiring in the match. He has to look at himself first as it could, therefore, be asked who is really a cheat?

According to a survey of 100 first-class cricketers released by the Australian Cricketers Association earlier this year, Emerson and Terry Prue (who also stood in the match in which the video of Shoaib's action was made) rank last in terms of whom the players consider to be good umpires. While 93 per cent of the players surveyed were satisfied with the standard of umpiring in Australia, only one player nominated Prue as his preferred umpire, while Emerson rated zero.

There has been great support for Shoaib from leading cricketers. Former Test batsmen, Dean Jones and Barry Richards who have observed Shoaib from close quarters since his arrival in Australia have had no problem with his action. They are both now television commentators and Richards said: "We have watched him three times and I think he is a very exciting young player. I haven't seen anything that suggests that he throws".

Jones added: "I have seen him a lot now and I don't think I have come across any past or current player or anyone who has actually thought of him throwing. Emerson is an absolute idiot, he has no idea what a chuck is and what is not."

Queensland captain and Test batsman who played against Shoaib in the game preceding the Test said: "He has got talent, he has got something that someone else hasn't. He is at the top so there are people trying to knock him down". John Buchanan, the Australian team coach praised Shoaib and said that it was unfair that he has been humiliated.

The Australian Cricket Board has been embarrassed by the lead to the media that a video was made on Shoaib's action suggesting that he throws. This entire episode has quite understandably infuriated the Pakistan team manager, Yawar Saeed, who has nevertheless, shown commendable restraint and diplomacy. The tape has no status as far as he or the ACB are concerned but if the ICC wish to see it, it is available.

Hopefully this is the end of the matter in a series which has promise of an exciting contest between two of the world's top teams.