Sports

Sports

The real Muralitharan saga
By S.R. Pathiravithana
When a man builds a house he lives in that for the rest of his life oblivious to anyone. However, when a man builds a palace he tries to live in it but he only accumulates envious foes that would go to any length to bring down that palace.

At the very beginning of his career if Muttiah Muralitharan showed only mediocre talents and faded away after a couple of Tests, may be that Darrel Hair would have saved his breadth during the 1995 boxing-day Test between Australia and Sri Lanka and also a saved a lot a trauma on himself in the aftermath. However his best selling book wouldn't have had enough spicy substance in it.

Besides that Australia would have had the honour of producing the greatest spinner of all time in Shane Warne in spite of him shaming himself with a drug scandal and also being slapped with a farcical one year ban from all types cricket. (All other athletes who were charged with the same offence received bans of much more than one year and their return to sport at the same level was made rather bleak).

Ironically now the stage is set, Muralitharan was cleared by the World Body of Cricket and he went on to be named the " Wisden's best bowler of all time”. Now he is challenging white supremacy and is on a race to the final post to become the bowler with the most number of wickets in the history of the game when both Warne and he pass the haul of 519 wickets taken by the West Indian great Courteny Walsh.

Quite amusingly when ever Australia is engaged in a Test series against Sri Lanka from somewhere 'Jack jumps out of the box 'and the whole drama of 1995 is re-enacted. However not by any one involved in the middle, but, their cricketing acolytes who are quite known to shoot their mouths out when they can get the most amount of publicity. This also has happened at a time when the ICC has pronounced that they are hoping to have a re-look at all the slow bowlers with suspect actions. Is this a ploy to influence the judges?

To get to the bottom of this episode The Sunday Times went to the most authentic source that could give the insight to the behind the scene happenings on that fateful day in 1995. We went to none other than Ana Punchihewa who was the incumbent President of the BCCSL in 1995.

When asked what his initial reaction was when Murali was called by Darrel Hair and what transpired thereafter Ana Punchihewa said "First of all I couldn't have any initial reactions because I was in hospital in Melbourne, just a few yards away from the grounds, but, that particular day I did not know anything as I had 105 degree fever. Anyway in Australia they do not show the proceedings in the State that the match is played and I did not know any thing, which took place on the grounds that day.

" Then things started rolling the next morning at 7 or 8 when I woke up. There were Duleep (Mendis) Dav (Whatmore) Arjuna or Aravinda in front of me. I thought that they had come to see me in hospital, but they came out and said they had a problem. In the first Test among the controversies there was this ball-tampering problem and we were not going to play the second Test and we managed to get an apology from the ICC and the tour stood on. When I inquired, they said we now have another problem…. and then I went on Oh! No not again …… what happened this time and they said that Murali has been called for chucking and then they inquired from me what they should do? …. Shall we not continue with the game? Then I said, don't do that now…continue with the game, there are so many things to check then we will take appropriate action.

Then we contacted the then CEO Anura Tennekone (if I remember right) and inquired what course of action could be taken and what should be done. Straightaway Anura got moving and contacted Dr. Buddy Reid, and he advised us to go to the Western Australia University and that is where Darrel Foster is and asked us to do a scientific, Medical Examination of Mural and his action. We were asked to get these verified first, then at the same time we were asked by the then sports minister to contact a Sri Lankan doctor residing in Hong Kong. So initially we got those criteria completed.

Then in the aftermath the match referees report went, then I told Anura that we also should send in a report. We sent in our report, and told the ICC it is not fair, at present you look at only one side of the story and requested them to look at what we have say too, without being at the mercy of the match referee and the umpire.

By this time we had analysed the tapes showing Murali being called then Darrel Foster also had analysed them and given his report and we forwarded all our findings and requested the ICC that they should form a committee and analyse this from a players point of view. It is only after that suggestion that the ICC formed the committee that analyses bowling actions. It came about that both sides are heard, and not only one side."

"Our main fear at that time was that he would be called again at the World Cup ( in which Sri Lankan ended up as champions ) So we wanted some kind of assurance that he would not be called at this juncture, but, no one could give any assurance because the rule says it is up to the particular umpire to call a bowler if he feels that this particular bowler's action is illegal. But, anyway we named Murali in the final fourteen in the World Cup squad. In one of flights with the team I made it a point to sit next to this umpire who was going to stand at the first match Murali was to bowl during the World Cup and off hand I just inquired if he intended calling Murali during this game. To our satisfaction the umpire was of the view that Murali does not throw and he did not intend calling him. This match was very important to us in the World Cup as once a bowler is not called it is very difficult for another to call him in the same tournament." "Then of course the recommendation of the committee who sat on this cleared Murali, saying that on the evidence presented Murali was not chucking so, that recommendation still stands ".

When asked as to why from time to time persons involved with the game in some capacity talk about the legality of Murali's action and that too at very crucial times like when he on course for the post of history's highest wicket taker Ana Punchihewa replied,.. "All I can say is this debate will go on for ever I can not see it closing up. It will get worse once he takes his 500th wicket and even worse when passes Courteny Walsh's. Even Wisden has named him as the Best bowler ever. What else do you need to prove that his action is legitimate and he is the best bowler produced in cricket.

There are certain writers and people like Bishen Bedi who come up from time to time, though always this comes up just before some series, funny, Bedi came up just before the Australian tour, and now this person ( referring to an article written by Tedd Corbet in the Sports Star Magazine) during the Australian tour. Everybody has his own agenda." Said Punchihewa in conclusion not before he agreed that these accusations mostly come from the Australian continent and England barring the utterances of Bishen Bedi had been made in Australia.

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