Ravichandran Ashwin engages in Twitter banter with Bangladeshi fan on legality of bowling action
Bangladesh cricket fans are currently enraged on the matter of legality of bowling action, following the suspension of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny. Some fans have gone to the extent of calling it a conspiracy by the ICC, at the instigation of BCCI.
These fans have pointed towards the action of Ravichandran Ashwin, pointing out that the Tamil Nadu bowler’s action looks as illegal as anybody else’s, asking why there has never been any assessment of his action. It was one of these fans who Ashwin ran into on Twitter, becoming the latest victim of his acerbic wit on social media.
@ashwinravi99 taskin ahmad had good bowling action and icc banned him and u have worst bowling action ur stil playing
— Anas shaikh (@AnasSha73793089) March 21, 2016
Kuch sharam hoti hai
@AnasSha73793089 I can't help that my action looks worse,legality is the parameter and not how ugly it looks.
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) March 21, 2016
The legal rule referred to by Ashwin is the one instated by ICC in 2004, which says that at the point of delivery, a bowler cannot straighten his arm more than 15-degrees. However, the parameter to test whether the bowler does break this rule has been entrusted to the naked eye of umpires and officials instead of geometrical devices, thus leading to ambiguity.
This ambiguity is what has led many to target Ashwin with regards to his bowling action.
@ashwinravi99 @AnasSha73793089 of their bowlers....and your repeating reply to these tweets won't help...better ignore
— Nitesh -VK- (@k_nitzz23) March 21, 2016
@k_nitzz23 I am just replying,cos I have faith that humanity will be restored one day
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) March 21, 2016