Murali completes England rout

Thilanga Sumathipala, president of the tourists' cricket board, who was in London for the Oval Test, said yesterday: "The remarks were highly uncalled for. We are very disappointed and if the England coach was so concerned, he should have gone to the match referee and not to the media."

Lloyd, who said he would be reporting his views on Muralitharan to the cricketing authorities, came in for further criticism from Geoff Boycott, who said on television: "It would help if the coach could keep his mouth shut. He shouldn't make inferences about the player's action, especially when England are losing."

Later, Lloyd and Boycott had an exchange of words during which it is understood the coach suggested that any criticism should have been made to him personally and not in public.

An ECB spokesman confirmed that the board had received a communication from the Sri Lankan management about Lloyd's comments. He stressed: "They were his own observations."

Sumathipala said: "We want to know from the England board just what Lloyd's concerns are. It's all very disappointing for the public at home. This has been a very successful tour until now.

"We are particularly concerned at the possible impact in Australia of Lloyd's remarks, which have been widely published there. We shall be taking part in the triangular one-day tournament there in the new year with England. Muralitharan experienced problems there before and we don't want any repetition."

In 1995 Muralitharan was called for throwing seven times by Darrell Hair during the Christmas Test in Melbourne. Video film was then taken of his action and the International Cricket Council accepted there was nothing wrong with his delivery. Studies showed that his arm was permanently bent to about 11 degrees and that his wrist was double-jointed.

Dav Whatmore, the Lancashire coach who was working for Sri Lanka when they won the World Cup, said: "Murali has passed all kinds of tests and is 100 per cent legitimate.

"The cause of the problem is an optical illusion produced by an amazing rotation in his wrist which generates all the spin. There's a physical deformity which prevents him straightening his arm."

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