List of cricketers called for throwing in top-class cricket matches in Australia


This is a list of cricketers called for throwing in top-class cricket matches in Australia. In the sport of cricket, strict rules govern the method of bowling the ball. The rules relate to the bending of the arm at the elbow, the extent of which has always been open to interpretation by the umpires. More recently, the International Cricket Council has attempted to codify the maximum permissible flexing of the elbow as 15 degrees.
When a player is found by the umpire to have delivered the ball contrary to those rules, the umpire will call a no-ball and he is said to have been called for throwing. Where public opinion is that a player's bowling action appears to be that he routinely throws, he is said to have a 'suspect' or an 'illegal' action, or more derogatorily, is said to be a 'chucker'. The issue is often highly emotive with accusers considering that deliveries with an illegal action are akin to cheating.
Over the years, a number of players have been called in top-class matches — Test matches, One Day Internationals and domestic first-class matches — invariably creating controversy and occasionally destroying cricket careers. Often the player has been able to modify his action to appease his critics and the umpires, but more commonly, especially when the bowler has been called on more than one occasion, his career in international cricket is effectively ended.

List of players called for throwing

PlayerDateTeamOpposing teamUmpire
30 March 1872VictoriaNew South WalesA. Sellars
26 December 1872NSW, Tasmania, SA XIIIVictoriaGeorge Curtis
28 December 1872VictoriaNSW, Tasmania, SA XIIIGeorge Curtis
14 March 1873VictoriaTasmaniaWilliam Sidebottom
30 October 1897South AustraliaAndrew Stoddart's XIJim Phillips
4 January 1898AustraliaEnglandJim Phillips
27 December 1900New South WalesVictoriaBob Crockett
1 February 1901New South WalesVictoriaBob Crockett
4 February 1901New South WalesVictoriaBob Crockett
3 February 1911VictoriaSouth AfricaBob Crockett
4 February 1911VictoriaSouth AfricaW. A. Young
7 November 1914New South WalesQueenslandunknown
17 January 1930Western AustraliaVictoriaAndrew Barlow
24 January 1930Western AustraliaTasmaniaA. J. Buttsworth
25 January 1930Western AustraliaTasmaniaWalter Lonergan
26 January 1931TasmaniaVictoriaunknown
18 December 1931QueenslandVictoriaAndrew Barlow
13 November 1936South AustraliaVictoriaAndrew Barlow
7 March 1939Western AustraliaVictoriaFrederick Buttsworth
14 December 1940South AustraliaVictoriaAndrew Barlow
17 February 1951Western AustraliaVictoriaAndrew Barlow
2 January 1960QueenslandNew South WalesJim Bowden
4 November 1960South AustraliaVictoriaCol Egar
3 March 1962South AustraliaNew ZealandCol Egar
11 January 1963VictoriaSouth AustraliaJack Kierse
4 March 1963VictoriaQueenslandBill Priem
7 December 1963AustraliaSouth AfricaCol Egar
13 November 1964VictoriaSouth AustraliaCol Egar
13 November 1964VictoriaSouth AustraliaJack Ryan
16 November 1964Western AustraliaNew South WalesTed Wykes
24 November 1967QueenslandNew South WalesTed Wykes
26 December 1995Sri LankaAustraliaDarrell Hair
5 January 1996Sri LankaWest IndiesRoss Emerson
Tony McQuillan
1 November 1997QueenslandVictoriaRoss Emerson
11 February 1998QueenslandTasmaniaRoss Emerson
23 January 1999Sri LankaEnglandRoss Emerson