As England was rapidly tumbling to defeat against Australia in the just concluded third Ashes cricket Test, a spectator expressed his desire to have a five-day long game for a Christmas gift.
In West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford’s case, his Xmas gift wish should be an International Cricket Council (ICC) answer to a pertinent question.
Cricket’s world governing body should explain the difference between Shillingford’s bowling action and that of Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and a few others representing their countries currently.
Unlike Shillingford, Ajmal has been bowling unimpeded in recent times, although his off break and doosra delivery actions 
are seemingly no different to the West Indian.
Yet, Shillingford has had to endure two suspensions for chucking, the latest last week, for an infringement of a cricket law whose interpretation is as convoluted as the ICC’s general handling of the sport.
Ajmal was suspended for the said infringement four years ago, but every time he is viewed in action since, including Pakistan’s just-concluded limited overs series against South Africa and currently versus Sri Lanka, he seems not too different from a javelin competitor.
Thus, one cannot help concluding that the prospect of an emerging situation of privilege and under-privileged nations in world cricket, is ominous.
West Indies surely isn’t in the former category as the West Indies Cricket Board’s inept administration of the sport, is opening the door for increasing contemptuous treatment of its players.
A growing number of incidents now, suggest the laws are only applicable for players from some countries.
Immediately following his rich 11-wicket haul in the two innings West Indies bowled in the contrived two-match series against India, just concluded, Shillingford was blindsided by a unanimous decision to report him by all three umpires , Nigel Llong, Richard Kettle-
borough and Vineet Kulkarnie along with match referee Andy Pycroft. They rubbed salt in the wounds, by adding part-time off spinner Marlon Samuels, whose punishment has since been reduced to forbidden use of the faster delivery, deemed illegal.
If the ICC testing procedure found Shillingford, exceeded the 15-degree arm straightening allowance on delivery, slapping him with an indefinite suspension, it means Ajmal should be re-tested.
Actually the Pakistani reportedly once told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the ICC gave him special privilege to straighten his delivery arm way past the allowable 15 degrees limit, to 23, because of a damaged arm, deformed by an accident.
That surely seems to be the case now as who Llong officiated in the Triangular ODI series this year when West Indies hosted Pakistan and India, never reported the off spinner when he helped the former team, eliminate West Indies from reaching the finals.
By far Shillingford has been West Indies’ most prolific bowler in their last two series and it seems a rare coincidence that former fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, was reported immediately after he wrecked Australia with a seven-wicket haul back in 2002. The subsequent suspension effectively ended his career.
More blatantly, in an attempt to blunt the effectiveness of the rampaging West Indies fast bowlers of the 1960s, the no-ball rule was adjusted when the front-foot requirement was introduced.
More recently, the horrendous two-match suspension penalty instituted on wicket-keeper Dinesh Ramdin by ICC match referee Chris Broad, for claiming a catch that was ruled not out, in this year’s Champions League competition, was the last case of contempt slapped on Regional players.
Incredibly, the West Indies team management and Board executives failed to raise a voice in anger or protest at Broad’s action.
Less than six-months later, West Indian players led by its leading bowler, now find themselves back under the ICC gun, while the seeming untouchables from Asia and those with connections to teams there, freely carry on with their careers.
Andy Roberts, whose wide experience as an ace West Indies fast-bowler makes him an authority about injustices in the sport, was not afraid to call a spade a spade. He made it clear that the ICC is scared to penalize bowlers with suspect actions from Asian countries including India, whose economic might is allowing the country to be a law unto itself.
Having observed the way the India cricket board (Board For Cricket Control In India), is shamelessly bullying its way past anyone and anything to achieve its aims, including the spineless ICC, Roberts was forced to state the obvious.
Similarly his ex-fast-bowling mate Michael Holding reacted with disgust when Ramdin was penalized, daring the ICC to follow up with similar future action on players, for acts that have been as common as runs and wickets, in the sport.
If Windies team head coach Ottis Gibson is hardly getting anything right , results-wise, as the team’s failures are suggesting, he made a timely protest following Shillingford’s sanction, insinuating that a blind eye is being shown to certain players with identical actions to his off spinner.
Some experts have concluded it is impossible to deliver a doosra without chucking. Shllingford, Ajmal, the retired Muttiah Muralitaharan and the former’s fellow West Indian Sunil Narine are all exponents of the doosra.
In Narine’s case it seems he is only being saved from sanction due to being a prized possession of the India Premier League’s Kolkata Knight Riders team.
Shillingford’s agents should take note.
