The bowler should refrain from bowling this delivery The ICC on Murali's doosra

He made his feelings clear when asked about an orthodox leg-break he received on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo.

"That was the first legal delivery he bowled - that's my personal opinion," the 23-year-old said.

Ebrahim added, however, that he did not think Muralitharan had bowled his banned doosra delivery.

His comments came only days after Muralitharan broke West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 Test wickets.

Test bowling record timeline

Australian prime minister and cricket fan John Howard has also become embroiled in the controversy after he was quoted as querying the spinner's action.

It prompted Muralitharan to suggest that he might not go on a tour to Australia in July as a retaliatory gesture.

"The prime minister shouldn't be saying things like that, he doesn't know the facts," he said.

The International Cricket Council has, meanwhile, confirmed that Muralitharan has been told not to bowl the 'doosra' following biomechanical tests of his action at the University of Western Australia.

Chief executive Malcolm Speed was responding to comments from Muralitharan prior to the Test that he had received no such instruction.

This is nothing but another Murali-bashing statement. Being a legend, he should keep himself out of controversies from now on From Cricket Passion Have your say on TMS

He said the ICC had "provided two pieces of correspondence, one from its Bowling Review Group to Muralitharan and one from its chief executive to the team manager, both of which are clear in saying that the bowler should refrain from bowling this delivery".

Match referee Mike Procter has informed Sri Lanka of the ICC's view.

"Given the steps taken by Sri Lanka Cricket and the ICC, there should now be no doubt as to the course that Sri Lanka Cricket has advised Muralitharan to follow, a course that the ICC fully supports," Speed added.

The university report showed an initial straightening of Muralitharan's arm of around 14 degrees which after some remedial work was reduced to 10 degrees.

This compares to an allowable level of tolerance for spinners of five degrees under the current rules.

The ICC has set up a sub-committee including former Test players Angus Fraser, Aravinda de Silva and Tim May to review its illegal deliveries policy.

"There will be no recommendations made on these issues until the ICC's research programme has been complteed and the results properly analysed. This is not likely until the last quarter of this year," said general manager Dave Richardson.