Erapalli Prasanna gives bowling tips to a trainee during his visit to the Zonal Cricket Academy camp at Jadavpur University’s Salt Lake campus on Monday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: Former India off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna feels that International Cricket Council (ICC)’s rule of relaxing the permissible level of straightening in a bowler’s arm from upto a 15-degree bend, is leading confusion for every one. “My point is quite clear, either you chuck or you don’t,” he said at the Jadavpur University’s Salt Lake campus ground on Monday.

While assessing the bowlers and giving them proper guidance at the zonal cricket academy’s eastern centre, Prasanna took time off to express his dislike for the world body’s stand on the subject. “In naked eye one cannot determine whether the flexation is more than 15 degree or not,” Prasanna said.

According to Prasanna, the square-leg umpire should be given the charge of detecting if the bowler is chucking. “The umpire at the non-striker’s end has a lot of things in mind and the television umpire sits outside the ground. The third umpire can give his judgement only after studying the video clippings, which may take seven days, but the game is still on. You have to spot the error instantly,” he insisted.

Prasanna also stressed on the need of “rectifying” the bowler with suspect action before exposing them to the international level. “If a young bowler with slight illegal action is exposed to international arena, his career may be affected. You have to monitor him at close quarters and rectify his action before selecting him for the national squad,” the legendary offie stated.

In this regard, Prasanna mentioned India under-19 off-spinner Mohnish Parmar’s name, who has been reported for suspect action during the ICC under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.