Legality of bowling actions in cricket

An ergonomic methodology has been designed and developed to evaluate the legality of bowling actions in cricket. This paper describes the methodology and a case study related to an international cricket player with an unorthodox bowling action. Objective measurements were used to evaluate the action. An electrogoniometer and a force-sensing resistor (FSR) were used for this purpose. The electrogoniometer measured the elbow angles in the sagittal plane, while the FSR indicated the instant of ball release to assess the presence of any elbow 'straightening' directly preceding delivery. The FSR was attached to a finger depending on the type of ball delivered. Angles and forces were sampled at 500 Hz and stored in a data logger. The information collected was downloaded on to a computer for further analyses. The angle information preceding ball release is a clear indicator of arm 'straightening' during bowling. The methodology has high reliability and accuracy in the evaluation of the legitimacy of bowling actions as defined by the International Cricket Council laws.