Brett Lee's bowling action is clean and there is nothing to suggest any illegality. And so says everyone who you speak to about it.

At least they do now.

A week after whispers that Shoaib Akhtar's action was under scrutiny hit the headlines, it was the New South Wales (and future Australian) speedster who was the centre of media attention on Thursday.

The lead sport stories in the Australian press and television dealt with reports that Lee was under suspicion for "chucking", many asking how and why? The catalyst was an item in the CricInfo365 Indian Edition email newsletter on Tuesday slamming inferences that Lee's action was under question. The first stories, however, had begun appearing on the weekend, during India's 93-run victory over New South Wales in their four-day tour match in Sydney.

It was in Saturday's edition of "The Telegraph" (Calcutta) that writer Lokendra Pratap Sahi wrote that the Indian touring camp had serious doubts about the legality of Lee's action. He wrote that the newspaper had unidentified sources which said that the tour management would lodge a complaint with the ICC, with copies to be forwarded to the ACB and BCCI. This is despite the fact that complaints about bowling actions can only be referred to the ICC via match referees in games where such jurisdiction exists. In the India v NSW tour match there was no such jurisdiction.

Also on Saturday, "The Hindu", in its report of the previous day's action in the tour match, made a passing reference to "whispers about his [Lee's] action" without elaborating.

Brett Lee took seven wickets in the tour match against India last week, often bowling with genuine pace. Yet to appear at Test level for Australia, he is playing for New South Wales against Tasmania while the Adelaide Test gets under way today. There is widespread speculation that he may get an Australian berth in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Following Thursday's headlines the denials of any concern about Lee were almost universal. Indian coach Kapil Dev, speaking at a press conference in Adelaide yesterday, denied that his team had made any complaint about the Australian. "I have no time to complain, that is not my job," the world-record wicket-taker said.

"I hope he plays lots and lots of cricket and let's not spoil his life and try to put pressure on him", Kapil Dev, whose own Test career began at the age of nineteen, said.

Reports earlier in the week that the Indians had sought a video of Lee's action were later clarified as being an entirely routine filming of an opposing player.

The ICC regulations relating to players and team officials making detrimental remarks during an international tour are quite clearly stated in Paragraph 8 of the ICC Code of Conduct, and there is nothing to indicate that anyone in the Indian camp has stated anything relating to Lee that would breach this clause.

Among Australians who have spoken in support of Brett Lee in the past 24 hours have been Australian captain Steve Waugh, NSW coach Steve Small, and Australian Cricket Academy coach Rod Marsh. Lee attended the Academy in 1995 and 1996. Former Australian wicketkeeper Marsh said that if he had discovered any irregularity in Lee's action when he was at the Academy, it would have been corrected.

I have watched Brett Lee bowl in three matches for New South Wales this season, including both innings of the tour match against India last week. Although there does appear to be a slight jerkiness in his delivery action which is consistent with attempting to extract that last extra ounce of pace, I have not at any time seen any evidence of any bending or straightening of the elbow as part of his bowling action.

© 1999