Shoaib Akhtar leaps in triumph after bowling Daniel Vettori Photo AFP

Not long ago, Shoaib Akhtar came, saw and overwhelmed the world's best batsmen, and then had to face the ignominy of being branded a "chucker". That resulted in an official ban and an agonising and demoralising wait for the 'Rawalpindi Express' until he was cleared of the charges by the ICC. Then a serious injury, which also cost him a lucrative contract with Nottinghamshire, sidelined him from the game for 10 months.

Now, immediately after his first comeback game, in which he skittled out the New Zealanders like ninepins, the chucking allegations of the past have resurfaced. Darrell Hair, the Aussie umpire, is no stranger to controversy. He was at the centre of an ugly incident involving the Sri Lankans after he no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan several times for a suspect action, at which even the normally mild-mannered and gentlemanly Arjuna Ranatunga had angrily led his team off the ground. Later on, as author, he termed the off-spinner's action as 'diabolical' in his book.

It was not Muralitharan's first match; and 27 other umpires (including the hawk-eyed Dickie Bird, David Shepherd and Steve Bucknor) never had cause to question the spinning wizard's action. But Hair thought otherwise.

In Sunday's first One-Day International, Shoaib's action was again the subject of condemnation. So Shoaib, who brushed aside the Kiwi hopes with a haul of 5 for 19, his wickets coming in the space of only 11 deliveries, is again under the spotlight.

The aggressively confident Shoaib countered his critics by remarking: "John Reid (the New Zealand match referee who notified the ICC of Hair and Peter Willey's objections) was match referee for three whole years and he never objected.… I won't say he was racist but it wasn't good to see. It's never been wrong. I've never changed my action."

A suspect action accusation can indeed be devastating for a bowler. The issue is certain to be kept alive as the tour progresses. Perhaps the local media felt this was the only way in which they could help reverse New Zealand's losing syndrome, for another forced exit of Shoaib would badly demoralise the Pakistani team. In that case, the loss will be cricket's alone.

© CricInfo