Murali was told not to bowl doosra: ICC

Muttiah Muralitharan: received clear instructions from the Sri Lankan board to stop bowling the doosra © Getty Images Enlarge

The ICC has confirmed that the Sri Lankan board did instruct Muttiah Muralitharan to stop bowling the doosra in international cricket. Murali had earlier told the media that he had received no such request from Sri Lanka Cricket, but Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, confirmed that Mike Procter, the match referee, had also raised the issue with team manager Ajit Jayasekara before the start of the second Test at Bulawayo.

"I am aware of media reports in some papers suggesting that Mr Muralitharan has not been given this information," Speed said. "This is not the advice that Sri Lanka Cricket has given to the ICC.

"It has provided two pieces of correspondence, one from its bowling review group to Muralitharan and one from its chief executive to the team manager, both of which are clear in saying that the bowler should refrain from bowling this delivery.

"Given the comments that have appeared in the media concerning this advice, the ICC asked ICC match referee, Mike Procter, who is in control of the game in Bulawayo, to ensure that the Sri Lankan team management is fully aware of the issue and of the processes in place to deal with any concerns that might arise out of this match.

"Given the steps taken by Sri Lanka Cricket and the ICC, there should now be no doubt as to the course that Sri Lanka Cricket has advised Muralitharan to follow, a course that the ICC fully supports."

Murali was first pulled up for his doosra during the third Test of the home series against Australia. He underwent the six-week first stage of the bowling review process, which ended on May 13. If Murali continues to bowl the doosra, and is reported within 12 months of the first report, he moves on to stage two of the review process, in which he will be scrutinised by the ICC's bowling review group. This group has the power to ban Murali for 12 months if it believes his action is illegal.