Date-stamped : 31 Dec95 - 18:31 DON`T THROW `MURALI` TO THE WOLVES COMMENT - by ELMO RODRIGOPULLE Sri Lanka`s emergence as a force to be reckoned with in the highly competitive and commercialised world of cricket has brought with it the usual jealous hearts which can`t stop beating and in its wake brought to a screeching halt Sri Lanka`s furth- er rise in the game if the unusual happenings in Australia are signs. After Sri Lanka`s amazing success in New Zealand, Pakistan and Sharjah, the stage was set for an exciting series in Australia with Ranatunga and the boys rarin` to take on the Kangaroos and make them hop and wriggle to their cricketing music. Unknown to the Lankans, the Aussies, too, were readying for battle. But from what has now being happening, it is apparent, by oth- er means. In their endeavour to undo the Lankans who are known to play the game, they were aided and abetted by others. On the eve of the first Test, from out of the blues was publi- cised and brought into focus `spider` Muttiah Muralitharan`s bowling ac- tion. It is now known that Muralitharan`s action was queried by match referee Peter Burge during the Indo-Lanka series here in 1993 and brought to the notice of the Cricket Board. Then fol- lowed Bar- ry Jarman`s unease of the bowler`s action during the team`s tour of New Zealand which prompted him as the match re- feree to have the bowler filmed in slow motion. Then came umpire Darrel Hair`s concern over the bowler`s ac- tion after the Sharjah success, along with comments from Steve Dunne of New Zealand and Nigel Plews of England. When Muralitharan was called for throwing it was Aussie umpire Hair who performed the heroics and who will, no doubt, go into the history books along with the bowler. But while the cricket world stopped still, it was interesting to know that the other umpire, neutral one Dunne of new Zealand, did not see anything unusual in the bowler`s action. If Muralitharan was undone by Dunne, then arguments could have been differently based. When the home umpire does it, it leaves a very bad taste in the mouth, and it has. We have it that umpire Hair was determined to continue to call the bowler from whatever end he bowled after tea on the first day. But what is obvious is that the Sri Lankans will soon be deprived of their match-winning bowler in Muralitharan. He had been marked to be called which could mean a temporary halt to the spinning wizard`s promising career. Bruce Yardley, the Aussie offie who was here on a coaching as- signment and saw Muralitharan as a schoolboy thought a lot of him and predicted a big future for him. Muralitharan has kept upto that promise after bit of work on his action. Yardley is now convinced that he is the best spinner in the world and that his action is not illegal and he has said so. Muralitharan`s coach Dave Whatmore, too, is convinced that the spinner is not doing anything illegal. Yardley and Whatmore are the two people who matter because they have worked with the spinner and that is what matters. It is also said that after the Sharjah tour Raman Subba Row, along with Dunne, Hair and Plews had made their reports. If that is so, how come that Dunne did not follow Hair and call the bowler? Obvi- ously he was not hundred percent certain that Mu- ralitharan was throw- ing. However, this is no laughing matter. It is Muralitharan`s livelihood that is at stake. Don`t throw him to the wolves. What is also intriguing is: Why did they have to wait to call Mu- ralitheran in the Second Test? Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services Contributed by vg (vpg0001@jove.acs.unt.edu)