Muralitharan on trial (17 January 1999)
MUTTIAH Muralitharan will this week discover whether the throwing controversies he thought had been consigned to history are about to return with a vengeance
17-Jan-1999
17 January 1999
Muralitharan on trial
By Paul Newman
MUTTIAH Muralitharan will this week discover whether the throwing
controversies he thought had been consigned to history are about
to return with a vengeance.
The Sri Lankan, no-balled for throwing by three umpires on his
last visit to Australia three years ago but subsequently
untroubled around the world, will come face to face with two of
his tormentors on Saturday knowing that other Australian umpires
have privately voiced concerns about his action on this trip.
Terry Prue and Simon Taufel, who officiated in Sri Lanka's defeat
by Australia in Sydney last Wednesday, expressed reservations
about Murali in their report to match referee Peter van der Merwe
and the pressure is growing on the International Cricket Council
to act before the off-spinner is forced to undergo more public
humiliation.
Yet the ICC distanced themselves from the affair yesterday when
they released a statement saying that while they may have given
Murali the go-ahead in the past, that was based on video evidence
at the time and should not be taken as an indefinite blessing on
his action. Basically, they are saying that if Australian umpires
want to call him they will not stop them.
The crunch could come - if he gets through Tuesday's match
against England in Melbourne - at Adelaide on Saturday. Ross
Emerson and Tony McQuillan, who between them called Murali seven
times for throwing during a one-day international against the
West Indies at The Gabba in 1996, are due to stand when Sri Lanka
face England again.
"The ICC advisory panel on throwing may have looked at Murali's
action in the past but it is the next ball that counts," said
South Africa's Van der Merwe at the MCG on Friday.
One thing in Murali's favour could be that Michael Holding, an
influential member of the ICC throwing committee, is known to be
satisfied with his action.
Stand-in captain Sanath Jayasuriya hit 86 from 62 balls as Sri
Lanka scored a comfortable 63-run win over the Australian Country
XI in their one-day cricket match in Barooga. Sri Lanka, who
rested Muralitharan, managed 285 while the Australian Country XI
were bowled out for 222.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)