Hair Apologises To Lankan Cricketers (20 Jan 1996)

Saturday 20, January 1996

Hair apologises to Lankan cricketers

By Sa`adi Thawfeeq

The bubble burst in the Muthiah Muralitharan throwing controversy when Austalian umpire Darrel Hair who started it all apologised to the Sri Lanka team about the whole thing.

"Before the last qualifying match of the World Series Cup (WSC) on Tuesday, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) called up the umpires, the captains and managers of both sides for a briefing and during that briefing, Hair had apologised about the incident that had happened before to the Sri Lankan management,`` said Sri Lanka Cricket Board president Ana Punchihewa on his return from Australia.

This is the most stunning piece of news to surface from the Muralitharan throwing controversy because it was Hair who hit the headlines when he became the first umpire to call the Sri Lankan off-spinner for chucking during the second Test against Australia at Melbourne last month.

Since then, Ross Emerson, another Australian umpire also called Muralitharan for throwing in a WSC game against the West Indies early this month. But what turned the chucking affair in Sri Lanka`s favour was when Emerson no-balled Muralitharan for throwing even when he had bowled leg-breaks.

"The ACB is very much aware that some injustice has been done, unfortunately, because of two umpires. They are embarassed this has happened and I know personally, they are willing to do whatever they can to help clear this up as soon as possible,`` said Punchihewa, addressing a well-attended press conference at the Cricket Board headquarters yesterday.

This assurance was also given to Sports Minister S.B. Dissanayake by the two ACB representatives Graham Halbish and Dennis Rogers when they were in Colombo last week to review the World Cup security arrangements.

Australia are due to play Sri Lanka in a World Cup match on February 17 at the Premadasa Stadium and also in two World Cup warm-up matches against a Sri Lankan Board XI at the CCC grounds on February 7 and 13.

Punchihewa said the ball tampering affair in which Sri Lanka were exonerated by the ICC and the Muralitharan controversy, had only turned the Australian cricketing public in favour of Sri Lanka.

"From what I saw of the Australian public they were 100 percent behind our cricketers. Their feelings and reactions towards us was very warm. Everyone who met me showed a lot of concern. Even the Australian media felt an injustice had been done to us and wanted whatever evidence we had to publish,`` said Punchihewa.

Although the ICC has told the Sri Lanka Cricket Board that there is no structure to review Muralitharan`s bowling action, the Cricket Board has persisted with the ruling body for cricket to look at the fresh evidence - both medically and scientficaly that has surfaced with regard to Muralitharan`s bowling action.

Since Muralitharan was first called for chucking, the Cricket Board has got him tested medically by Dr. Buddy Reid, the former Sri Lanka opening batsman, who has proved the bowler had a deformity in his bowling arm. They have also got the scientific report of John Harmer, one of the leading sports biomechanics who had Muralitharan filmed from four different angles.

However, the evidence the Cricket Bord considers as the most important is that of Darrel Foster, the former coach of Western Australia and presently Kent, who is attached to the biomechanics and sports medicine unit of the University of Western Australia. Muralitharan was sent for a series of tests last Monday and the Cricket Board is awaiting his report anytime.

"Foster`s report is very vital because he is very well respected throughout Australia. As soon as we get it we are going to give it to the match referee and ask him to show it to the umpires. We will also send his reports to the ICC and the ACB,`` said Punchihewa.

"I am 90 percent certain that once we get this report, the ICC will have to request the match referee to look at it seriously,`` he said.

"What we are saying is to give the correct information to the umpires so that they can come to a decision looking at all the different evidence and make up their mind without only having one side of the story told on this,`` he said.

In the meantime, Muralitharan`s fate of being included in the final Sri Lankan squad of 14 for the next month`s World Cup hung in the balance.

The deadline for declaring the final 14 is Monday, and the national selectors are due to meet on Sunday.

"We are working hard to get him cleared as soon as possible. The Sports Minister is personally concerned. He has been in constant touch with me. With his advice and with our experience, we are somehow confident we can sort it out,`` said Punchihewa.

Source :: Lanka Internet Services