Who Is Martin Crowe ?

[legglancer12]

No let-up in Crowe's spin attack
JONATHAN MILLMOW - The Dominion Post | Thursday, 21 December 2006


Martin Crowe remains on the front foot about the legality of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action, including taking a swing at former International Cricket Council match referee and test captain John R Reid.


The two heavy hitters of New Zealand cricket are at odds over the Sri Lankan spinner and yesterday it was Crowe calling into question whether Reid understood the situation.

Reid was on the ICC illegal delivery panel that cleared Muralitharan six years ago but Crowe believes that has no relevance to now because Murali did not bowl his demon doosra then.

Crowe emailed the ICC with his concerns about aspects of Murali's performance in the second test at the Basin Reserve and after receiving a prompt response feels compelled to send television footage - specifically of Murali's spell into the northerly on the second morning.

Crowe's beef is that Murali's action appeared to go to pot under the stress of the conditions, and in doing so the Sri Lankan was able to extract prodigious turn at that stage of the test and capture 4-23 from eight overs.

That prompted Crowe during a commentary stint on Sky TV with respected West Indian Tony Cozier to call for the ICC to run regular checks on bowlers it has previously cleared in case they are falling back on old habits.

"I have no worries over his off-spinner whatsoever," Crowe said.

"It's the doosra which he now bowls more and more, often up to 50 per cent in a given spell, as we saw during the Wellington test, which is the only thing that needs further clarification.

"His doosra was banned two years ago and I believe needs consistent monitoring."

Reid told The Dominion Post on Tuesday that Crowe was speaking gobbledegook and had insufficient knowledge on the subject. Reid said the high-powered nine-man panel unanimously cleared Murali after being provided with all the relevant material.

The other members of the panel that cleared Murali were Doug Insole (England), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Bob Simpson (Australia), Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Michael Holding (West Indies), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Nigel Plews (umpires' representative) and Clyde Walcott (West Indies, chairman).

Then Reid took a swipe at Crowe, saying his attack on their controversial spinner had given the Sri Lankans added motivation in the second test which they went on to win by 217 runs.

Crowe hit back yesterday at his integrity being questioned.

"I feel his comments about what side am I on are inappropriate," Crowe said.

"I'm an unbiased commentator. I'm on cricket's side. I'm trying to preserve the integrity of the game."

[silentstriker]

A very good NZ batsman. And I already posted this in the other NZ/SL thread.

[Matteh]

It's spelt Crowe for one thing, try looking that surname up on Cricinfo.

[PhoenixFire]

Some bloke who wants a bit of attention now that his career is over, so he calls Murali a chucker. Very original.

[16 tins of Spam]

He's one of New Zealand's two finest ever batsmen, who's made a habit of winding people up with his whinging on occasion.

He's entitled to his opinion on this, and personally it doesn't bother me that he thinks the way he does, but he's got to realise that most people are over this issue now. It's a closed case.

[PhoenixFire]

Him and Glenn Turner, NZ finest?

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

Him and Glenn Turner, NZ finest?

Batsman? There have been a coulple of others, Donnelly, Dempster and Sutcliffe but I would go Turner first Crowe second

[16 tins of Spam]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

Him and Glenn Turner, NZ finest?

Yep.

[legglancer12]

Cricket: Murali criticism hypocrisy, says ex-captain
Email this storyPrint this story Friday December 29, 2006
By Richard Boock


Martin Crowe
Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe is defending himself against another attack from Sri Lankan interests, this time from his old adversary Arjuna Ranatunga.

Crowe, who queried the legality of Muttiah Muralitharan's wrong-'un during the second test in Wellington and sent film footage to the International Cricket Council unprompted, insists he did so - not out of spite - but for the greater good of the game.

"I wasn't being nasty or malicious. I've got a lot of respect for Sri Lankan cricket and I love the way they play the game," he said last night.

"I can understand Arjuna wanting to protect Murali and Sri Lanka's chance of success at the next World Cup but, from an independent viewpoint, I think the issue deserves to be discussed."

Crowe reiterated yesterday that he was startled only by Murali's doosra, or wrong-'un, and particularly the action employed on the first evening and the second morning of the second test.

The footage sent by Crowe will evidently be used by the ICC in a split-screen format to compare Murali's action during the Wellington test with the action he employed under laboratory testing.


Ranatunga yesterday questioned why Crowe didn't raise the matter in Christchurch when New Zealand were winning, instead of bringing it up when the home side were suffering a heavy defeat at Wellington.

"You don't wait till your team loses and then make a big hue and cry about it," said the former test captain.

"I had a lot of respect for Crowe as a player and as a gentleman. But I've got to say that I've lost that respect.

"He sounds more like an Australian now."

Ranatunga suggested hypocrisy and racism were behind the criticisms about his countryman's action.

"I feel sorry for Murali," he said. "He's got to put up with this kind of crap whenever he comes up with a good performance.

"If he'd been playing for Australia, New Zealand or England they would have hailed him as the greatest bowler ever to play the game.

"He would have been known as the genius who overcame deformity and became a star. But simply because he's an Asian, he's got to go through this."

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[Krishna_j]

Originally Posted by legglancer12

No let-up in Crowe's spin attack
JONATHAN MILLMOW - The Dominion Post | Thursday, 21 December 2006


Martin Crowe remains on the front foot about the legality of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action, including taking a swing at former International Cricket Council match referee and test captain John R Reid.


Reid told The Dominion Post on Tuesday that Crowe was speaking gobbledegook and had insufficient knowledge on the subject. Reid said the high-powered nine-man panel unanimously cleared Murali after being provided with all the relevant material.

The other members of the panel that cleared Murali were Doug Insole (England), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Bob Simpson (Australia), Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Michael Holding (West Indies), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Nigel Plews (umpires' representative) and Clyde Walcott (West Indies, chairman).

."

the committee that cleared Murali has some of the finest names in cricket so obviously their experience counted - however another promising bowler in the early 90's Jayananda Warnaweera who could have become another Kumble was hounded out on his bowling action.

I remember even the legendary Bishan Bedi fuming and swearing at Murali's action in an interview last year and calling for him to be banned.

[Lillian Thomson]

I don't know why there's all the fuss about Murali's action, it's very similar to World Darts Champion Phil Taylor's.

[silentstriker]

Let it go.

[Krishna_j]

Originally Posted by Lillian Thomson

I don't know why there's all the fuss about Murali's action, it's very similar to World Darts Champion Phil Taylor's.

excellent idea - when he decides to play in australia he can fire doosra at the batsman with one hand and a dart at the Ausse crowd or Darrel Hair with the other

[Goughy]

To be quite frank I see no reason why he should be quiet on the issue. Clearly many have been beaten down and actually doing the correct thing is no longer seen to be admirable.

Leaving the rest of Murali's action and Phil "The Power" Taylor jokes aside, he clearly throws the doosra. It would be reckless not to report these matter.

The world is getting pussy-whipped into not questioning certain cricketers and teams due to a guaranteed frenzied political and popular backlash.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Goughy

To be quite frank I see no reason why he should be quiet on the issue. Clearly many have been beaten down and actually doing the correct thing is no longer seen to be admirable.

Leaving the rest of Murali's action and Phil "The Power" Taylor jokes aside, he clearly throws the doosra. It would be reckless not to report these matter.

The world is getting pussy-whipped into not questioning certain cricketers and teams due to a quaranteed frenzied political and popular backlash.

I think everyone chucks the doosra. Harbhajan too. That delivery itself should be banned.