In the sport of cricket, a chucking or throwing action is different from bowling. Bowling is what bowlers are supposed to do when they hurl the ball against the batters. Throwing is an attribute that is exclusive for the fielders.
Cricket is a sport which used to have underarm bowling in its early days. However, the technical and materialistic changes in the sport paved the way for overarm bowling. A legal overarm bowling in cricket is one where the bowler does not flex his or her arm more than 15 degrees from the elbow joint. An increase in this angle is considered as chucking or throwing.
It is challenging for the on field umpires to spot an illegal bowling action. However, the batters can report it to the umpires who can then take a note of it and observe the bowler’s action. In some evident cases, the umpires can detect an illegal action without the batter’s assistance. Whether a bowler has bowled one or more deliveries, it is imperative for the umpire to include all instances in the match report. For an evident throw by a bowler, the umpire can also call a no ball and declare the delivery unfair.
The report drafted by the umpires is forwarded to the match referee. The match referee then notifies the team management and the International Cricket Council regarding the incident. A media statement is then published.
If only one delivery of the bowler was chucked, then the bowler can rectify the error and continue to play international matches. If the bowler consistently delivered the balls with an illegal action, then the bowler is suspended from international cricket. The bowler then has to pass certain tests by the International Cricket Council before resuming their international career. If the bowler is reported twice within two years for illegal bowling action, then they are banned from playing international cricket for one year.
Historically, nearly 25 to 30 bowlers have been called out for throwing in cricket.
