London, Sept 5 : England had planned to use a “secret delivery” to flummox Indian batsmen in the ongoing ODI series but the idea was dropped as the team management thought it would be banned for being against the spirit of the game.
According to a report in ‘The Daily Telegraph', “England's bowlers have been preparing to unveil a new delivery which the England management claim to be legal, although they expect will be quickly banned.”
”The plan was to use it either in the current one-day international series against India or in the return series in India next month, but may now be prevented by the outcry it could cause.”
The daily said that England's bowlers even experimented with it during a private net-session at the Riverside ground.
The experiment involves “the bowler tossing the ball from his left hand to his right hand just before release.”
Although the English team management doesn't consider such a delivery to be illegal, it feels the ball would be banned by the ICC if used.
”International Cricket Council will move quickly to ban this experiment, if they introduce it during the last four internationals of this series or in India.
”And trying this delivery during India's tour of England, so soon after the Ian Bell incident at Trent Bridge, would be another test of diplomatic relations between the two most powerful boards of the cricket world,” the newspaper said.
This new delivery may be banned under Law 42.1 which states: ‘The responsibility lies with the captains for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit and traditions of the game.'
Law 42.4 also states: ‘It is unfair for any fielder deliberately to attempt to distract the striker while he is preparing to receive or receiving a delivery.'
