Circle the wagons

Circle the wagons and protect our own. That's what good businesses, companies and teams do. Whether the accused is right or wrong. But after the bravado of the other day coming from the Proteas, in the form of interviews from the media manager and bowling coach, they still decided to drop Johan Botha.

Pull him out of the spotlight, take the focus off him, take the pressure off him - put it however you want to. But if the camp is so convinced of the fact that he doesn't have a dodgy action, then he should've played. But this is simply equivalent to stuffing your grandmother in the cupboard to stop her saying something even more embarrassing at the dinner table.

To many out there, in terms of the rules, it may seem a rather convoluted explanation as to whether someone is "throwing" or not. What it really comes down to the the angle of flexion of the elbow when delivering. Apparently Botha was measured at 11% (you are allowed 15%) at the time of last testing when delivering the doosra. He was measured at 9% for his normal delivery.

As a bowler, you know when you are keeping you arm straight and when you are really bending it to constitute a throw. Don't let any bowler tell you otherwise. Some of the best fast bowlers chucked their bouncer. And in modern times now, it's easy to get tested and bend your arm a little bit less - which helps you to get cleared.

But that doesn't stop you going back to old ways when in the heat of battle. Let's call it gamesmanship. And remember, it not illegal as long as you don't get caught.