ICC backs 'throwing' detector

Bowlers with illegal actions will face swift justice in future instead of months being tested in a laboratory. The International Cricket Council yesterday announced plans to develop a device to be worn by suspects which will assess the legitimacy of an action in real time.

It will be a kind of high-technology return to the old days when umpires decided if a bowler was throwing and called a no-ball if they felt so inclined. At present, bowlers are reported by umpires and are allowed to continue playing while having their actions tested by scientists. The new detector has been created by an Australian research team. It is light enough to be worn by bowlers in matches without affecting their performance.

This is the second phase of three in the ICC project, partly funded by MCC, and will test the new device's measurement of the 15-degree tolerance allowed against present laboratory methods. The ICC hopes the final phase, when bowlers will wear the device, will be complete by 2014.

The ICC chief executive, David Richardson, said: "The ICC is keen to see this technology implemented in elite cricket and believe it will be a significant stride forward in detecting illegal bowling actions."