Holding: 'I Was Misquoted over Murali'

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding has denied accusing Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of having an illegal bowling action.

Holding, an International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed bowling advisor, was quoted in Wisden Asia Cricket Monthly as saying that he was in "110 per cent agreement" with Bishen Bedi, who accused Muralitharan of having an illegal action.

His support for Bedi raised a furore in Sri Lanka, forcing the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) to make a formal complaint to the ICC.

But Holding, who is currently in South Africa working as a television commentator in the ongoing series between Australia and South Africa, has denied questioning the legitimacy of Muralitharan's bowling action, claiming he has been misquoted in a letter to BCCSL chief executive Anura Tennekoon.

Vijaya Malasekera, chairman of the Sri Lankan Board, is expected to take up the matter of Muralitharan's action at the ICC executive meeting in Cape Town.

The Board is perplexed that, despite three separate scientific analyses between 1996 and 1999, all of which concluded that his arm did not straighten at the point of delivery, and being cleared by the ICC twice, there are still allegations being made that his action is illegal.

Comments made by Bob Woolmer, the ICC's high performance manager, who said he uses "excessive wrist action which is only possible with a straightening of the arm" in same edition of the magazine has also annoyed the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.

* SOURCE: CricInfo.