Former Test captain Mark Taylor says the ICC crackdown on illegal bowling actions had to happen because “things were starting to get out of hand”.

The Australian board member was at the Sydney Cricket Ground for belated 50th birthday celebrations on Tuesday.

There he said bowlers had been gradually exploiting the current 15 degree rule since its introduction.

Under ICC regulations, bowlers are permitted to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees – considered the point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye.

The sport’s governing body recently clamped down on `chucking’, which is when players exceed this accepted limit.

Taylor said he backed the crackdown, given bowlers such as Pakistan’s star spinner Saeed Ajmal had started to bowl outside the rules.

“Players start going, all right, I’ve got 15 degrees – 15 turns into 20, 25, 30,” Taylor told reporters.

“As we saw with Saeed Ajmal I think his stock delivery was about 36 degrees.”

But Taylor stressed the measure wasn’t an attempt to lock certain cricketers out of the sport – rather, it was about ensuring it didn’t turn into “baseball”.

Concerns about bowlers flouting the rules had been mounting for some time, Taylor said.

“The feeling was … things were starting to get out of hand,” he said.

“There’s been a correction. The onus has gone back onto the bowlers to prove they bowl.

“I think that’s a good thing.”

Meanwhile, some critics have questioned the ICC’s timing, given February’s World Cup is fast approaching.

For his part, ICC chief David Richardson said a flaw in the game should be amended as soon as possible, irrespective of upcoming events.