ICC launching new wearable 'arm sensor' technology to spot out 'chuckers' on the spot

Johannesburg, Aug 28(ANI): The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced plans on Monday to launch a new technology, usually found in iPads, to examine bowlers with suspect bowling actions.

The proposed plan would see 'inertial sensors' attached to the bowler's arm to assess the legality of his action.

The actions of several current and recently retired bowlers have come into question after the ICC allowed a tolerance limit of 15 degrees' bend to the bowling arm, which is a relaxation questioned in some quarters.

Now, the ICC is willing to invest in bowling action technology, which would detect any flawed bowling action.

"The ICC has entered the second phase of an agreement with a consortium of high-profile Australian cricket, sports science and sports engineering institutions to develop a wearable technology to assess the legality of bowling actions in match and training conditions," Sports24 quoted an ICC statement, as saying.

Retired Australian fast bowler Brett Lee and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, have all had their actions questioned at some point, but were cleared on the basis of tolerance limit or existing arm-joint deformity.

India's Harbhajan Singh and Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal are two high-profile current bowlers whose actions have come under scrutiny on several occasions, and the ICC said it was working to address the problem.

"The ICC is now working with experts to produce a process capable of measuring bowlers' actions in a match environment," the statement said.

"Known as inertial sensors, they employ similar technology to that used in iPads, mobile phones and car crash impact detection systems," it added.

"It is planned the technology will be light, cost-effective and wearable on the bowler's arm and will not hinder performance, while still allowing information about the throw-like features of an illegal action to be assessed in near real-time in both match and training environments," it concluded. (ANI)