New Delhi, May 17 (PTI): Muttiah Muralidharan has agreed not to bowl his controversial doosra, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday, while clarifying that the delivery as such was not banned.
“The Sri Lankan board has asked Muralidharan not to bowl the doosra and the ICC endorses it. Murali has agreed to comply,” ICC president Ehsan Mani said on Monday, seeking to put to rest the confusion created by contradictory remarks from various quarters including Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the player himself.
Mani said certain tolerance level was allowed for spinners but in Murali’s case, it exceeded by about three times.
“Although it has now come down to double, it still does not conform to ICC regulations. But doosra is not banned. It is a perfectly normal bowling action, some do it very well,” Mani said in a tele-conference held to announce the launch of ICC Champions Trophy 2004.
Mani slammed politicians for sticking their necks into cricketing issues and asked them to refrain from making comments in public. “The issue has been blown out of proportion by various politicians,” Mani said.
On Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s threat that he would sue the ICC, Mani said, “I cannot comment on that. But all our regulations are fully supported by SLC.”
Meanwhile, the ICC on Monday announced an “open-minded” research into the bowling action of the spinners during the 12-nation Champions Trophy in England. “There are some technical requirements for doing a research. With all the teams in one country it will give us an ideal opportunity to do the same,” Mani said. ICC general manager Dave Richardson said “no individual or individual action” will be targeted.
Contract guidelines
Keen to avoid a repeat of the contract controversy which surfaced during 2002-2003, the ICC on Monday said it had put in place a set of guidelines which had been endorsed by all cricket boards including the BCCI.
Mani said it has had “intensive” discussions with all the cricket boards and come up with a set of a guidelines “which have been fully endorsed by BCCI as well.”
“All the cricket boards are obliged to deliver to the ICC and its commercial partners, the GCC (Global Cricket Corporation),” he said.
On whether the ICC had reduced the ambush marketing clause to five days from 15, Mani said, “there are two things — use of players images and ambush marketing. In some cases, players might be refrained from endorsing a product (whose interests are in direct clash with that of the official sponsors) for five days before, during and after the ICC tournament and in some instances it is 15.”
