Ever since its inception in international cricket, the ‘doosra’, an unorthodox finger delivery that moves away from a right-hander as opposed to a conventional off-spinner, has raised a lot of debate over its legitimacy.
Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq, who is credited to have introduced it to world cricket, leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and India’s Harbhajan Singh have used it with great results.
However, a group of leading Australian spinners, including Warne, Stuart MacGill, Jim Higgs, Gavin Robertson, Terry Jenner, Peter Philpott and Ashley Mallett, voiced their concerns against the ‘doosra’ in a recent summit in Brisbane last month and questioned the legitimacy of the delivery.
Former off-spinner Mallett said doosra can never be a legitimate delivery as it cannot be bowled by a finger-spinner without ‘chucking’.
“There was unanimous agreement that the off-spinner’s other one’, the doosra, should not be coached in Australia,” Mallett said.
“I have never seen anyone actually bowl the doosra. It has to be a chuck.
“Until such time as the ICC declares that all manner of chucking is legal in the game of cricket I refuse to coach the doosra.
“All at the ‘Spin Summit’ agreed,” he added.
Recently, Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was found himself in the wrong side of the law when he was reported by the umpires while bowling a doosra during the second ODI against Australia in Dubai in April.
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