Mikey Holding Under Fire from Lankans

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has publicly condemned former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding for casting doubt upon the legality of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action in April's edition of Wisden Cricket Asia Monthly and issued a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Holding, a prominent television commentator and an ICC-appointed bowling advisor asked to work with Shoaib Akhtar after the speedster was reported for having a suspect action for the second time, claimed to be in "110% agreement" with Indian spinner Bishan Bedi, who had accused Muralitharan of throwing, likening his action to that of a javelin thrower in the previous edition of the magazine.

A Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) media release states: "The BCCSL unreservedly condemns Mr. Michael Holding's unwarranted, and irresponsible allegations that are clearly intended to cast doubts over Mr. Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action."

It goes on to claim that Holding's comments are "harmful to the game of cricket as a whole" and are "a deliberate insult to his predecessors on the ICC's Advisory Panel On Illegal Deliveries, who investigated Mr. Muralitharan's action in 1999, and found that it did not violate the laws of cricket."

The release confirms that, "since Mr. Holding is a bowling advisor to the ICC," they have taken up the matter directly with ICC. However, it is unclear what the ICC can do - Holding is entitled to express his personal opinion; a quiet word between Chief Executive Malcom Speed and Holding seems the only option.

Bedi's comments, unpalatable as they were for many in Sri Lanka, were largely brushed aside as provocative sensationalism. Sri Lankan team manager Chandra Shaffter summed up general feeling when he said: "Not very many people take Bedi seriously, I think he thrives on controversies and that's his style."

But Holding's unexpected intervention has sent shockwaves through Sri Lankan cricket circles, prompting fears that Muralitharan is going to be forced to endure increasing allegations in the run-up to the 2003 World Cup, as had been the case before the 1996 and 1999 tournaments.

The timing is not lost on the BCCSL. The release adds: "It is also a strange coincidence that these comments have been made in the run up to the ICC Champions' Trophy Tournament to be held in September, and the World Cup in March 2003."

The local press is also suspicious of the reasons why the Muralitharan controversy has been re-ignited. The Daily Mirror sports editorial suggested on Friday that opponents were sufficiently scared of Muralitharan to "put him out of the game before he destructs them."

The role played by Wisden Cricket Asia is also not beyond suspicion, with Sri Lanka due to play a three-Test tour in England shortly. Such is the extent of mistrust in the cricket world that the Daily Mirror notes conspiratorially that: "Wisden Cricket Asia is a subsidiary of Wisden International in England."

Even skipper Jayasuriya, a mild-mannered leader uncomfortable with controversy, views the recent comments with cynicism. "It's an attempt to trigger disturbance for a bowler who has been performing excellently," he said in Lahore on Wednesday.

The Sri Lankan Board are now considering what steps can be taken to protect Muralitharan over coming months, but admit to being exasperated by the fact that the controversy refuses to go despite the bowler being cleared twice by the ICC following three separate scientific analyses.

The first, a sophisticated bio-mechanical study conducted by Darrel Foster from the University of Western Australia in 1996, shortly after Muralitharan had been called by Australian umpire Darryl Hair at Melbourne, identified a structural abnormality that prevents Muralitharan from fully straightening his arm, and concluded that his bent arm did not straighten at the point of delivery.

This was followed by three days of research at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which also gave Muralitharan the green light, after which an ICC panel cleared him for the first time, allowing him to take part in the 1996 World Cup.

During Sri Lanka's next visit to Australia in 1998/99, Muralitharan was called again, this time by Ross Emerson in a one-day international against England at Adelaide. Muralitharan's action underwent further analysis at the Hugh Williamsom Gait Analysis Laboratory.

Following this, an ICC Advisory Panel on Illegal Deliveries with delegates from all Test members deemed his bowling action legal for the second time.

Muralitharan is tired of having electronic patches strapped to his elbow and being studied like a strange creature in a laboratory. A fourth study is inconceivable and, as their quick reaction to Holding's comments clearly shows, the Sri Lankan Board will take a hardline stance should futher allegations be made.

* EDITOR'S NOTE: We republish the statement from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board to include the "other side" in the chucking controversy. It was first publised on the CricInfo Web site.