Date-stamped : 09 Jan96 - 06:40
Tuesday 09, January 1996

Comment: Elmo Rodrigopulle

`Murali` in death row

Whether Muralideran will face the hangman`s noose  or  gain  last
minute  reprieve  will  depend on the lords at Lord`s to whom the
Sri Lankan Cricket Board has made an impassioned plea to save the
spinner and let him keep on rolling.

To  the  majority,  including  some  illustrious  cricketers  Mu-
ralideran has not committed a sin against the bowling commandment
- thou shall not throw. Several statements by cricketing   greats
could   be   argued  in  the bowler`s defence.  But the statement
that should work in Muralideran`s favour is the one made by   the
West  Indies   skipper  Richie Richardson who was at the scene of
action when umpire Ross Emerson called him in  the  one-dayer  in
Brisbane.

Richardson`s words are worth reiterating. He said: I don`t really
think that he throws the ball. He was bowling leg breaks and it`s
very difficult to chuck a leg break. Richardson has defended  the
bowler`s action before on tour.

What was obvious to those watching the game in Brisbane where um-
pire Emerson was doing the heroics, was that he was going to call
the bowler whatever he bowled, off spin or leg spin. His mind was
made  up.  When he called the bowler for bowling leg spin, he ex-
posed the mockery of the whole exercise.

When the bowler was called he turned to the umpire and  indicated
to  him what he had bowled. While millions would have been struck
with consternation if they were not actually amused, umpire Emer-
son  would  have been red in the face when he saw the re-plays of
the incident.

When Muralideran was being continued to be called one would  have
not  faulted  him,  had  he very politely informed the umpire and
finished bowling, underarm, something similar to what former Aus-
sie  skipper  Greg  Chappell  got his brother Trevor to do in the
one-dayer against New Zealand.

It is within the rules. To hell with  the  spirit  of  the  game.
Everytime umpire Emerson called Muralideran defeaning boos greet-
ed him from the full house watching. At the end of the  game   it
was  a  sad  spectacle  to  see  the umpires being given a police
escort to the pavilion in their own country.

It was a very sad day and apparently the message would have  been
registered!  Now  that  the  Sri Lankan Cricket Board has put the
ball fairly and squarely in  the  ICC  court  -  the  Muralideran
throwing controversy - it will be interesting to see whether they
will treat this matter as urgent or let it lag.

If the ICC decide to drag their feet on the matter they cannot be
faulted.  They  tipped  us off on this likely episode way back in
1993. ``Why was no  action  taken  then  and  subsequently.   Why
force us to rush action now?`` could be the ICC way of looking at
it.

High on the ICC agenda is to see that above all the game is  kept
going.  With no real evidence to hang him, Muralideran is looking
for deliverance before Sri Lanka names its final  squad for   the
World  Cup  beginning  next month. One hopes that the ICC will be
fast on the draw, because a player`s livelihood is at stake.

The Cricket Board lest they be accused  later  should  also  have
asked  for  a ruling on off cutter Kumara Dharmasena and left-arm
leggie Jayantha Silva for safety`s sake.

The actions of these two bowlers have also been topics of discus-
sion.  It  would be better to have them cleared too, once and for
all and not allow gossip to go the round.

Ana Punchihewa who has been doing a lot for the game as President
of  the  CB,  has unfortunately been taken ill in Australia. This
has hampered his way of getting things done.

With Punchihewa taking over the game, things began to happen with
Sri  Lanka  chalking up test series victories against New Zealand
and Pakistan and the Sharjah trophy.

Source:: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services
<END> Contributed by vg (vpg0001@jove.acs.unt.edu)