Hong Kong   January 11  1996

Territory professor clears spinner Muralitharan of throwing

Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign was yesterday given a timely morale boost when a Hong Kong based professor revealed comprehensive scientific tests would clear off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan of throwing.

Muralitharan has been widely criticised in recent years for his unorthodox bowling style, culminating with the International Cricket Council (ICC) issuing a statement last year supporting an umpire's decision to no-ball him. The 23-year-old finger spinner who has been included in Sri Lanka's 14-man squad for the World Cup starting next Wednesday, underwent three-and-a half days of testing at Hong Kong' University of Science and Technology this week.

"The tests prove Muralitharan's off-spin, which was the more suspect, is not a throw, and the leg-spin, which wasn't really questioned, is also not a throw," Dr Ravindra Goonetilleke said yesterday. The assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said he forwarded the interim results to Sri Lanka cricket officials, who are gathering evidence to present to the ICC, the sport's governing boy.

Muralitharan, Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker, became the ninth player in test history to be called for throwing on December 26 in the second test against Australia in Melbourne.

He was no-balled seven times in three overs. He was also called for throwing last month in a one-day international.

The Sri Lankans, who had been cleared of ball tampering only a day before Australian umpire Darrell Hair called 'Murali' for throwing, were irate, insisting he suffered a deformity from birth which prevented him straightening his arm.

Team manager Duleep Mendis last month submitted video and medical evidence to the ICC at its Lord's headquarters in a bid to prove Muralitharan bowled legitimately.

Before returning to Colombo after his side's controversial tour of Australia, the spinner accepted an invitation to undergo scientific tests in Hong Kong.

Goonetilleke says the tests, which saw Muralitharan bowl for "four to five hours" a day, proved beyond doubt the chucking allegation was purely an illusion due to his "bent" arm. Using an instrument for measuring posture which identifies repetitive strain injuries, the spinner bowled between 30-50 overs with electronic wiring strapped to his elbow, fingers and around his waist.

"The device recorded 500 angles and 500 force values per second from the finger and elbow," Goonetilleke said.

"The information was downloaded into a computer and it shows, according to the [the game's] law, he is not throwing the ball."

Sri Lanka cricket this week suffered another blow when their position as co-hosts of the World Cup with Pakistan and India was jeopordised by a decision by Australia and West Indies not to play in Colombo because of security fears after a bomb attack in the capital.

The attack on a city bank by Tamil separatists killed 86 people and injured 1,400.

Reuter

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