Sri Lanka express anger over Australian ``chucking'' row (23 January 1999)

23 January 1999

Sri Lanka express anger over Australian "chucking" row

AFP

COLOMBO, Jan 23 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's Board of Control for Cricket on Saturday expressed anger over a fresh "chucking row" caused by Australian umpire Ross Emerson calling spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in a match against England.

The BCCSL said in a statement that it will seek advice from the world governing body of the sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC), over the controversy.

"The BCCSL is both angered and saddened by what happened and is at this moment considering what course of action should be adopted," the statement said.

Despite the controversy and the Sri Lankan players leaving the field at Adelaide for 12 minutes in protest, they scored a record 303 for nine to win their controversial triangular series limited-overs match against England by one wicket.

A spokesman for Sri Lanka's cricket board said board chairman Thilanga Sumathipala was expected to leave for Australia and the executive committee would "review all options" before taking a final decision on whether to pull out of the tournament.

"This is something that we hope the ICC will take up very strongly, but pulling out of the series is not high up on the list of options," the spokesman said.

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga protested umpire Ross Emerson's no-ball call against Muralitharan, apparently for an illegal action.

Ranatunga gestured to his players to walk off to the dressing room after Muralitharan had been called from square leg by umpire Emerson - one of three Australian umpires who had no-balled the Sri Lankan for throwing three years ago.

Source :: AFP