“It’s all very well saying it, but do they call a batsman back if he bowls a doosra?”
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New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson has announced that he wants to ensure West Indies spinner Shane Shillingford’s doosra and all-rounder Marlon Samuels’ quicker delivery are properly policed during the upcoming Test series.
Shillingford’s doosra and Samuels’ quicker delivery were both banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for being outside the 15-degree flex limit.
“It’s quite hard to see how they actually police that,” Hesson said. “It’s all very well saying it, but do they call a batsman back if he bowls a doosra? It’s going to be an interesting discussion with the match referee.
“Same with [Marlon] Samuels, he’s not allowed to bowl a quicker ball so we’ll certainly get some clarification on those two things.”
In his first domestic game back after being suspended for having an illegal bowling action, Shillingford picked up 11 wickets at Sabina Park in Jamaica, which is where the first Test is being held.
Even without the doosra in his arsenal, Hesson is wary that Shillingford can still be a major threat.
“He’ll get more bounce and turn over here whereas in New Zealand they tended to slide on a lot more,” Hesson said. “Shillingford seems to be their first-choice spinner, and [left-armer] Sulieman Benn is back in favour. None of our guys have faced a lot of him and, with his bounce and his height, he’s going to ask some different questions.”