Muralidharan

Colombo: Sri Lanka have abandoned plans to sue the International Cricket Council (ICC) for banning spin wizard Muttiah Muralidharan’s controversial doosra delivery, a government spokesman said on Monday.

The government, after talks with lawyers, decided to change track and appeal Muralidharan’s case before the sport’s world governing body, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse’s spokesman Rohan Weliwita said. “Even though lawyers felt there was sufficient grounds to sue, the first step will be to present an appeal on behalf of Muralidharan,” Weliwita said.

“The Prime Minister is getting the support of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan on this.”

Rajapakse last week met India’s top envoy in Sri Lanka, Nirupam Sen, who pledged to secure India’s co-operation to defend the off-spinner who this month became Test cricket’s leading bowler with 527 wickets.

The ICC has said that Muralidharan faces a year-long ban if he continued to bowl the doosra — a delivery that spins away from right-handed batsmen — because of the unorthodox action with which he bowled the delivery.

A state-run newspaper reported on Monday that two teams of lawyers from Britain and Australia were joining their Sri Lankan counterparts to mount pressure on the ICC over the Murali issue, but Weliwita said he was unaware of it.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s remarks that he believed Muralidharan was a chucker had prompted the world record-holder to consider boycotting Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia in July.

Rajapakse reacted to Howard’s remarks by announcing his intention to sue the ICC, but Mani dismissed the threat, saying there was no basis for anyone taking legal action. “I don’t know how we’d be sued, but all our regulations are fully supported by all our members,” said Mani, referring to the fact the Sri Lankan board is part of the ICC. (AFP)