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At various stages on Channel Nine yesterday, two former Australian captains, Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor, with Michael Slater, Brett Lee, commentator Mark Nicholas, and two decade cricket writer Robert Craddock all had a crack at solving the no-ball crisis.
By any standard that group is vastly experienced, and rightfully respected. Did they succeed?
No, because they were basically sympathetic with the bowlers, and that missed the whole point.
No-balls are just dumb cricket, with the bowlers entirely to blame. And until they wake up to themselves and become more professional in their approach, they will continue to play dumb, and very costly, cricket.
What are the coaches doing?
Without exception, pace bowlers bowl countless no-balls in the nets, the very place where this problem should be ironed out and permanently solved.
For example, take Australia’s Olympic and world champion hurdler Sally Pearson. Every training session is devoted to honing her three steps between hurdles, the most vital part of her program.
If Sally was to run in the same lane every meet, her sprig marks would be within a whisker of being the same holes for the entire 100 metres.
Precision and practice makes perfect. That’s why Sally Pearson is the best in the world at her trade. She puts in the work, and the dedication.
These days bowlers have their start mark measured, but rarely take off from exactly the same place. If Sally Pearson did that, she would crash into one of the early hurdles. Event over.
Australians Peter Siddle and James Pattinson, with South African Morne Morkel, all had dismissals dismissed at the Gabba when the review showed they had no-balled. Not by much, but no-balls nonetheless.
All three were critical decisions, but inexcusable.
So too all 33 no-balls at the Gabba – debutant Rory Kleinveldt bowled 12, Vernon Philander eight, Morkel two, and Dale Steyn one for South Africa. Siddle and Pattinson bowled five each for Australia.
It appears the South Africans don’t want to learn, or don’t care. In the three Test series against England in England during July and August, the South Africans bowled 43 no-balls to England’s four.
Leggie Imran Tahir topped the poll with 19, and that’s totally inexcusable for a spinner, Morkel bowled 14, and Philander 10 compared to Jimmy Anderson’s two, and one each for Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad.
When is the penny going to drop?