Cricinfo Mobile
Email Feedback Print

The chucking controversy

Muralitharan tests completed

Charlie Austin

April 2, 2004

Text size: A | A



Muttiah Muralitharan: the tests done, it's now time to wait © Getty Images

Muttiah Muralitharan has completed five of the most important overs of his life, strapped with reflective markers and watched by 12 high-speed cameras. The fate of Muralitharan's controversial doosra now rests upon the conclusions of a computer.

Muralitharan wasted no time in undertaking the tests, for the second time in his career, at the University of Western Australia in Perth, after his doosra was labelled suspect by Chris Broad, the ICC match referee for last week's third Test against Australia in Colombo. The analysis was carried out on Wednesday night, and the results are expected shortly.

Professor Bruce Elliott, an ICC-approved human-movement specialist employed to undertake the tests, was confident that the assessments would produce a clear conclusion: "We put reflective markers on Murali, which are captured by the cameras and computers. The computer then does the calculation and gives us the answer."

Elliott said that Muralitharan fervently believed his doosra was legitimate. "His comment is that he uses far more wrist in his top-spin delivery to create his doosra. We will see if there is any truth in that. He has such rotational ability with his wrist, his strange elbow and in his shoulder that is quite possible that it is an optical illusion."

Bruce Yardley, the former Australian offspinner who has also coached Sri Lanka, watched every ball of the tests to ensure that Muralitharan used the same energy and action that had brought him 513 Test victims. Yardley was satisfied that Murali's bowling was the same as when he bowled competitively.

The footage will now be analysed by Elliott and Daryl Foster, the former Western Australia coach and bowling advisor to the Sri Lankan team. The report will then be handed over to the Sri Lankan cricket board, which will file a report to the ICC within six weeks. The results - especially if they clear Muralitharan - are likely to be made public long before that deadline.

RSS Feeds: Charlie Austin
Email Feedback Print
FeedbackTop
Share
E-mail
Feedback
Print
Charlie AustinClose
Charlie Austin Sri Lanka editor When Charlie Austin left for Sri Lanka after graduating from Sussex University, he was a planning a winter's cricket in the tropics and a six-month stint with an environmental NGO. His mother's worst fears were soon realised when it became clear that he had fallen in love with the island. Six months have now become eight years and Colombo has become his home. He joined Cricinfo in February 2000 and now heads operations in Sri Lanka, responsible for both sales and editorial. He is also the director of a UK-based travel company called Red Dot Tours, and is currently ghosting Muttiah Muralitharan's autobiography.
Related Links
Players/Officials: Muttiah Muralitharan
Teams: Sri Lanka
Country Fixtures Country Results
Ind Pres XI v Sri Lankans at Mumbai
Nov 11-13 (09:30 local, 04:00 GMT)
Col CC v SL Army at Colombo (CCC)
Nov 11 (10:00 local, 04:30 GMT)
Nondescripts v Saracens at Colombo (NCC)
Nov 11 (10:00 local, 04:30 GMT)
Sinhalese v Badureliya at Colombo (SSC)
Nov 11 (10:00 local, 04:30 GMT)
Tamil Union v Bloomfield at Colombo (PSS)
Nov 11 (10:00 local, 04:30 GMT)
Complete fixtures »
  • Cricinfo Widgets
Sponsored Links

Access your Indian Rupee earnings from anywhere in the world.

Debate now on the new ESPN Soccernet Castrol Rankings Blog

at Cricshop

on www.f1-live.com

Bodyline

Bowl a fast one

Cricinfo Mobile Site

Our brand new mobile site

Slogout

Our classic simulation game