Adam Gilchrist has said that the action of Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is "in technical breach of the rules".
Former wicketkeeper-batsman says spinner received "political protection"
Adam Gilchrist has said that the action of Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is "in technical breach of the rules" laid down by the International Cricket Council.
The former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, who made the claim in his new autobiography 'True Colours', also said that "political protection" from the ICC has allowed Muralitharan to forge his record-breaking career.
In 2005, the ICC allowed bowlers "to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees" - a figure that rendered Muralitharan's action legitimate.
While saying he did not begrudge Muralitharan his achievements, Gilchrist added his belief that the ICC made a mistake by not requesting the spinner remodel his action in accordance with the new laws.
He wrote: "When I heard that the rules would now allow a degree of straightening - 15 degrees to be exact, a fraction more than Murali's straightening had been measured at - I thought 'That's a load of horse crap. That's rubbish'.
"I don't think he's personally to blame: he bowled the way he bowled, and it was not up to him to do any more than he was asked.
"As much as I like Murali, my sympathies lay more with those batsmen, from every other nation, whose careers suffered because of a bowler who was in technical breach of the rules and seemed to enjoy a kind of political protection."
Questioned
Muralitharan's action was first questioned during Sri Lanka's tour of Australia in 1995-96 when he was no-balled during the Melbourne Test by umpire Darrell Hair.
The action was subsequently cleared by the ICC after Muralitharan undertook biomechanic analysis at the University of Western Australia and the University of Hong Kong.
The analysis revealed that Muralitharan's action created the "optical illusion of throwing".
But his next tour of Australia, in 1998-99, brought more trouble, with Muralitharan again no-balled, this time by umpire Ross Emerson.
The decision prompted Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga to walk his team off the field, while Muralitharan himself promised never to tour Australia again.
His action was again cleared following tests at UWA and in England, but the controversy resurfaced in 2004 when ICC match referee Chris Broad reported his 'doosra' delivery.
It was then that the ICC changed their laws on bowling, and although his doosra was banned, bowlers were henceforth allowed to bend their arm by 15 degrees.
Nevertheless, Gilchrist also claimed that Muralitharan continued to bowl his doosra.
He added: "Often Australian players, having seen him bowl yet another suspect doosra past the outside edge, would look at each other in changing room and say: 'Wasn't that one meant to have been sorted out?"'
