Murali fears for future of the doosra

Muttiah Muralitharan has stated that the ICC's constant scrutiny of offspinners' bowling actions might force them to abandon the doosra. His comments came in the wake of the umpires' report against Harbhajan Singh during the Chittagong Test against Bangladesh.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Murali said: "Definitely it could [force offspinners to give up the doosra]. If that happened, it would be a loss for the game. I don't know what the thinking is with umpires and match referees with this - it is obviously a very sensitive issue, because you are dealing with bowlers' careers. But I think [the doosra] is good for the game."

Murali also gave Harbhajan's doosra a clean bill of health: "With the naked eye, I can't see anything wrong with it. I don't think there is a problem."

Murali's own doosra came in for scrutiny during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. He was later cleared after Bruce Elliott's biomechanics team at the University of Western Australia concluded that he should be allowed to bowl his doosra until further tests were carried out on spinners. Those tests did take place during the Champions Trophy in England in September, after which it was recommended that the level of tolerance be increased to a 15-degree bend at the elbow. According to unofficial sources, though, Harbhajan's elbow flexion while bowling the doosra is some 22 degrees.