The International Cricket Council set to rid 'chuckers' from the game with 'wearable technology' Umpire Darrell Hair calling cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. CRICKET'S long and controversial battle to boot chuckers out of the game is nearing a revolutionary solution with dodgy bowlers likely to be forced to wear hi-tech sensors during international matches. Almost from the moment cricket sanctioned overarm bowling in 1864, the game has had to tackle allegations of bowlers who illegally throw the ball by straightening a bent arm. But now chuckers could be an endangered species thanks to a hi-tech project which is reaching its final phase. Australian and overseas researchers, in collaboration with the International Cricket Council, are developing "wearable technology" which will enable bowlers with questionable actions to be cited during matches. Suspect bowlers would be made to wear small devices attached to their arms that calculate their elbow flex and send the information back to computers in the stands during matches. The current system of citing players and making them undergo laboratory testing within a month has been criticised because bowlers can potentially legalise their actions for testing but then revert to bowling illegally during matches. The technology could be available to wear in matches within 18 months. ICC general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice, who updated a MCC world cricket committee on the latest developments, sees no reason why it will not be introduced into international cricket. "The committee was told that ICC are now working out the final phase of the three-stage project, and that excellent progress is being made not only to develop the technology to enable cricketers to be tested for 'throwing' in match conditions," a statement said. This has been a contentious issue for cricket since over-arm bowling was introduced, and the project could provide a platform for a consistent solution to the problem at all levels of the game. If it comes to fruition, the funky solution could solve the chucking problem. Not only would it force dodgy bowlers to fix their actions, it could also clear some legal bowlers who have found themselves under a cloud of suspicion. Aboriginal fast bowler Eddie Gilbert, who Don Bradman rated the fastest bowler he faced, was constantly shadowed by allegations his action was illegal and cricket was plagued by an epidemic of illegal actions in the 1950s. Australian fast bowler Ian Meckiff was famously no-balled for throwing at the Gabba in 1963-64 and three decades later umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in a Boxing Day Test. But since Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq introduced the "doosra" in the mid-1990s there is a feeling that many bowlers around the world are delivering this ball with an illegal action.