Netherlands bowler Saqib Zulfiqar sparked a debate over the Laws of Cricket during his side’s World Cup clash against Afghanistan.
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He was no-balled for overstepping, with the commentators discussing whether he had released the ball before his front foot had landed, and implying that, if he had, calling no ball would have been a mistake. Zulfiqar’s action is an unusual one, with the leg-spinner bowling off the ‘wrong’ foot, and while most bowlers land on their front foot before releasing, he does so almost simultaneously.
While the commentators concluded that Zulfiqar’s front foot had touched the ground just before he released, this would have made no difference to whether a no ball would have been called or not. The ICC Playing Conditions for the competition, which reflect the Laws of Cricket, make clear that the front foot is not defined as the last foot which lands before the ball is released, but rather as the second foot that lands while a bowler is in their delivery stride.
Appendix 9.3 states: Delivery stride is the stride during which the delivery swing is made, whether the ball is released or not. It starts when the bowler’s back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride. The stride after the delivery stride is completed when the next foot lands, i.e. when the back foot of the delivery stride lands again.
As for the delivery swing, this is defined, in the above clause, as: the motion of the bowler’s arm during which he normally releases the ball for a delivery.
Therefore, since Zulfiqar was in his delivery stride, which foot was designated as his front foot would have remained the same, whether or not he released the ball before his front foot landed.
Zulfiqar ended with figures of 1-25 as Netherlands were beaten by seven wickets.
