The mystery of the mystery ball

Muttiah Muralitharan: a victim of his own mindgames? © Getty Images

Muttiah Muralitharan does not have a new delivery, and has been bowling his doosra for over five years, according to Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka's new chief executive and former captain and coach of the national team.

Muralitharan was reported to the International Cricket Council by Chris Broad, the match referee during the recent Australia series. Broad said that Muralitharan's action was possibly suspect when "when he bowls his 'new' delivery that turns away from the right-handed batsman."

But Mendis insisted that Muralitharan has been bowling the same delivery regularly for at least five years, but during the recent tour of Sri Lanka by England the media started to make references to a "new" or "special" delivery. Muralitharan was indeed working on a new ball, but that was a back-spinner, which he has still not yet been bowled in a match.

"There is no such thing as a new delivery," Mendis told reporters. "Murali has been bowling this ball in international cricket for over five years now. The only difference between then and now is that he has now perfected the delivery, making it more effective and accurate."

Nevertheless, the board, although surprised and disappointed by Broad's decision, has already started stage one of the ICC's new two-stage process for dealing with suspect bowling actions. A Bowling Review Committee will meet on Monday evening, and an ICC-approved human-movement specialist will be appointed shortly after consultation between Mendis and Dave Richardson, the ICC's cricket operations manager.

The specialist will analyse the doosra and work with the Bowling Review Group to prepare a report for the ICC within the stipulated six-week period. The board hopes to "do everything possible as early as possible", but the report is unlikely to be ready for Sri Lanka's first one-dayer in Zimbabwe on April 20.

There is no suggestion, though, that Muralitharan will not play, or be discouraged from using his doosra in the interim period, unless there is scientific evidence that proves that there is a problem. Mendis remains very confident that Muralitharan will be cleared once and for all.

Mendis met with Muralitharan on Monday morning at the board headquarters in Colombo. "Murali is obviously disappointed, but he is a born fighter," he said. "Having spoken to him, I am sure he will fight his way through this - I was pleased to see him in this mood."

Murali himself confirmed: "I am very disappointed by what has happened as I thought this matter was behind me. I have been bowling this delivery for over five years now and I am naturally upset because I feel there is nothing wrong with it." And, he told reporters on Monday, he is hopeful that the fourth set of rigorous scientific tests on his action in his career will finally put an end to the controversy. "I am very confident that these assessments will prove, once and for all, that my bowling action is perfectly legal."

Muralitharan's bowling action was first assessed by the University of Western Australia in 1996, using six cameras shooting at a thousand frames per second. They concluded that his unique bent-armed action created the optical illusion that he was throwing. Further voluntary research was carried out by the University of Hong Kong the same year, and in England in 1999.

Sri Lanka's Bowling Review Committee was chaired by Roshan Mahanama, who will now have to be replaced after being appointed as an ICC match referee. The other members include Lalith Kaluperuma, the current chairman of selectors; Champaka Ramanayake, the board's fast-bowling coach; KT Francis, Sri Lanka's first ICC-appointed umpire; and Roger Wijesuriya, a former Test left-arm spinner.