Cricket: ICC urges new law on throwing

THE MCC is being urged to update the law that determines what is a legal delivery and what constitutes a throw.

The International Cricket Council chief executive, Dave Richards, confirmed prospective changes will be recommended following yesterday's meeting of the advisory panel on illegal deliveries at Lord's.

"Law 24 was thoroughly examined, and some changes will be recommended to the MCC Laws of Cricket working party, which is currently reviewing the laws, focusing mainly on defining what is a fair delivery rather than what is an unfair delivery," Richards said.

Law 24.2, which governs the calling of a throw, covers what is illegal but does not include a definition of what is a fair delivery. The advisory panel has made two suggestions as to how an updated law should define a legal delivery.

Clive Hitchcock, an ICC spokesman, said: "One [suggestion] is that a fair delivery should be judged as long as the arm is not straightened from its highest point, and the other is that the arm must remain in an unchanged position from the shoulder onwards to the point of release."

Richards added: "The panel is keen to see the Law in regard to illegal deliveries simplified to ensure that umpires take action in the event that a bowler does not comply with the Law."