Ban on Underarm Bowling

The 1981 underarm bowling incident is one of cricket's most fascinating turning points. When Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to bowl underarm against New Zealand, it was completely legal under existing laws. Yet the backlash was so fierce that the ICC permanently banned underarm deliveries in limited-overs cricket. Even Australia's Prime Minister publicly condemned it. Today, umpires call it a no-ball instantly, awarding a free hit. There's much more to this story than you'd expect.

Key Takeaways

• The underarm bowling ban was introduced by the ICC specifically for limited-overs cricket following the infamous 1981 Greg Chappell incident.
• Underarm bowling was completely legal under cricket laws at the time of the 1981 controversy, as umpires could not intervene.
• The Marylebone Cricket Club updated the Laws of Cricket to formally prohibit underarm deliveries across professional formats worldwide.
• Modern rules award a no-ball and free hit instantly if a bowler delivers underarm during professional matches, including the 2026 T20 World Cup.
• Captains can mutually agree to allow underarm bowling before non-competitive matches, making the ban exclusive to professional cricket.

The 1981 Underarm Bowling Incident That Changed Cricket Forever

On February 1, 1981, Australia and New Zealand faced off in the third match of the best-of-five 1980–81 World Series Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a single delivery would spark one of cricket's most controversial moments.

Needing six off the final ball to tie, New Zealand faced an unexpected twist when Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to bowl underarm along the ground, eliminating any chance of a six. The crowd booed, both prime ministers condemned the act, and Richie Benaud called it one of cricket's worst moments.

The cultural significance of underarm bowling became undeniable as the ICC subsequently banned the practice. The lasting legacy of underarm incident reshaped cricket's rules, cementing fair play above exploiting legal loopholes. Underarm bowling was specifically prohibited in certain one-day competitions as a direct result of the outrage that followed the incident.

New Zealand captain Geoff Howarth voiced his displeasure over the incident, despite the fact that underarm bowling was not actually against the laws of cricket at the time it occurred.

Was Underarm Bowling Actually Legal When It Happened?

When Trevor Chappell rolled that underarm delivery along the MCG pitch on February 1, 1981, he wasn't breaking a single rule. The laws governing cricket at the time explicitly permitted underarm bowling, and historical precedents showed it was routinely used throughout early cricket until the late 19th century.

The action was legal but deeply controversial. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser condemned it publicly, and universal outrage followed — proving that legality and sportsmanship don't always occupy the same space.

You might find it surprising that umpires didn't intervene because they couldn't — the delivery was completely within the rules. New Zealand captain Geoff Howarth protested, believing it was illegal based on his experience with English domestic competitions like the Benson & Hedges Cup, which had banned the practice locally. Adding to New Zealand's frustration, Brian McKechnie had faced the delivery needing a six to tie the match, a near-impossible task for a number 10 batsman. Following the incident, the International Cricket Council amended its laws to ban underarm bowling in limited-overs cricket, ensuring such a delivery could never be used again in that format.

Why Greg Chappell Instructed the Underarm Delivery?

The final over of that February 1981 ODI placed Greg Chappell under enormous pressure — Australia needed to hold off New Zealand, who required just 6 runs off the last ball to tie the match. Exhaustion's impact on decision making played a clear role; Chappell had just bowled 10 overs in scorching heat and was mentally drained from constant Test-to-ODI schedule shifts.

You can also see overreaction due to past trauma shaping his thinking — a vivid memory of Wayne Daniel stealing a win with a last-ball six haunted him. As Trevor walked to the bowling mark, Chappell made a split-second call, instructing the underarm delivery. He later admitted thinking, "I've had a gutful of this," capturing exactly how fatigue and fear collided into one controversial moment. While the delivery itself was legal at the time, it was widely condemned as being against the spirit of the game, ultimately leading to underarm bowling being outlawed in cricket.

What the Underarm Ball Did to Trevor Chappell's Career

Greg Chappell may have made the call, but it was Trevor who bore the heaviest burden. Trevor Chappell's personal struggles ran deep — the incident contributed to his marriage breaking down and haunted him for decades. Publicly vilified, he watched his career become permanently defined by a single delivery rather than his actual contributions to the game.

Trevor Chappell's enduring legacy is one he never wanted. Google his name, and "Underarm '81" still dominates the results. He spent 37 years as Australian cricket's primary villain until the 2018 ball-tampering scandal briefly shifted that spotlight. He even predicted those players would face similarly lifelong consequences. The ICC banned underarm bowling entirely, cementing the moment as a permanent stain — one Trevor couldn't escape regardless of how much time passed. The delivery itself was bowled to New Zealand tail-ender Brian McKechnie, specifically to prevent him from hitting the six needed to tie the match. Despite the bitterness of the incident, Trevor Chappell was the first to check on Brian McKechnie following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

How Players, Officials, and Prime Ministers Reacted to the Underarm Ball

Few moments in cricket history triggered such immediate and widespread outrage as the underarm incident. The commentary team response was instant, the crowd sentiment shift palpable, and officials scrambled to address the fallout.

A young girl tugged Greg Chappell's sleeve, calling him a cheat. Geoff Howarth confronted umpires Cronje and Weiner immediately after the delivery. Richie Benaud labeled it "one of the worst things I've ever seen done on a cricket field". MCG crowds erupted in sustained booing, drowning out any celebration. Officials acknowledged the underarm loophole needed closing by the following day.

The Australian dressing room sat in complete silence afterward. Nobody spoke. You can imagine the weight of knowing they'd just redefined poor sportsmanship for generations.

The ICC Rule Changes That Followed Almost Immediately

The Marylebone Cricket Club followed by updating the Laws of Cricket, specifically Law 21.1.2, which now prohibits underarm deliveries unless both teams agree before the match. If an unauthorized underarm attempt occurs, the umpire calls a dead ball. Some formats enforce stricter penalties, treating it as a no-ball with an extra run and a free hit.

These ICC immediate rule changes established uniform playing conditions across formats, effectively eliminating underarm bowling from professional cricket permanently.

Is Underarm Bowling Banned in Cricket Today?

Following those ICC rule changes, you might wonder where underarm bowling stands in cricket today. It's effectively banned across professional cricket, though some exceptions exist.

Professional matches: ICC bans it in all ODIs and T20Is, including the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Agreement loophole: It's allowed by agreement between captains before non-competitive matches begin.

Tactical use in training: Coaches still use it legitimately when teaching young players specific shots.

Enforcement: Umpires call a no-ball immediately, awarding a free hit to the batting team. When a no-ball is called, one run is added to the batting team's total if no runs are otherwise scored off the delivery.

Rolling the ball: Remains completely illegal since it bounces more than twice before reaching the crease. The 1980-81 World Series match incident was the key moment that led to underarm bowling being formally prohibited without prior agreement between captains.

Did the Underarm Incident Damage Australia and New Zealand Relations?

How badly did one cricket delivery rupture the relationship between two neighboring nations? The trans Tasman rivalry implications were immediate and severe. Both countries' prime ministers condemned the act publicly — New Zealand's Robert Muldoon called it "the most disgusting incident in cricket history," while Australia's Malcolm Fraser labeled it "contrary to all traditions of the game." That level of diplomatic ties deterioration was unprecedented for a sporting moment.

The incident reinforced New Zealand's underdog identity against Australia, fueled trans-Tasman bitterness for decades, and still resonated before the 2015 Cricket World Cup final between both nations. Relations regained cordiality between the two nations only 34 years after the incident occurred.

New Zealand crowds rolled crown green bowls onto the field during the 1982 Eden Park ODI, mocking the delivery before 43,000 hostile fans.

The underarm incident left a lasting mark on both players involved, with Greg Chappell struggling to explain his decision throughout his career, while Trevor Chappell's entire legacy became defined almost exclusively by that single delivery.

How the Underarm Incident Rewrote Cricket's Ethical Rulebook

Although underarm bowling was perfectly legal in 1981, Greg Chappell's infamous instruction exposed a dangerous gap between cricket's written rules and its unwritten moral code. This strategic ethics dilemma revealed unintended rule implications nobody had anticipated.

You can picture the fallout unfolding rapidly:

• Umpires standing helpless, technically unable to intervene
• New Zealand players walking off in visible disgust
• Two Prime Ministers publicly condemning Australia's tactics
• ICC officials scrambling to close the glaring loophole
• MCC rewriting Law 21.1.2 to prohibit unauthorized underarm deliveries

The incident permanently embedded the "Spirit of Cricket" into cricket's official framework. What you now read in cricket's Preamble about sportsmanship exists directly because one calculated decision prioritized winning over integrity, forcing administrators to legislate what tradition once handled naturally.

How the Underarm Incident Sits Among Cricket's Most Consequential Rule Triggers

Unlike no-ball overstepping, which is a technical correction, the ICC's underarm prohibition was a moral one. You can trace a clear line from that February 1981 delivery at Melbourne to cricket's modern "Spirit of the Game" clauses — proof that ethics, not just legality, now drives rule evolution.