Harbhajan 'baffled' at being reported again

Harbhajan Singh has expressed surprise at the latest accusation against his bowling action. In a column published in The Times of India, Harbhajan, whose action was reported again after it had been cleared just a month back, stated that the decision taken by the match referee and the umpires meant that the ICC wasn't confident about its own testing procedures.

"My action was cleared only last month by a panel of experts, and my doosra was declared clean after scrutinising images from a dozen cameras using modern technology," Harbhajan stated. "I am at a loss to understand how, after cleared by the panel, I am being reported again.

"Moreover, the new rules sat that the arm must not straighten more than 15 degrees. It's a technical stipulation, and I am baffled that the umpires and the referee were able to make this rather difficult calculation using the naked eye. Finally, the contention that my doosra was clean in the first innings but illegal in the second is really strange." Harbhajan took 2 for 94 and 2 for 51 in the two innings at Kolkata, and his doosra was cleared by Chris Broad, the referee, in the first innings, but Broad then added: "I'm happy with his action today, but it doesn't mean he can't be cautioned tomorrow."

Harbhajan, though, clearly wasn't impressed. "It is surprising that questions are being raised about my action after playing 40-odd Tests and taking 190-odd wickets. I am not clear where all this leads - am I to undergo tests every time someone says something about my action?" he asked. "If that is the case then the test I underwent was not conclusive, and Sunday's developments mean that the ICC referee does not trust the ICC's tests for bowling actions.

"I know that I am clean and I will continue to bowl as well as I can for India. I also have full faith in the ICC and the procedures that I went through last month. As far as I am concerned the ICC will trust its own tests and let me continue to do what I love - bowling for India."