 Sri Lankans will do anything to protect the image of Muralitharan |
Sri Lanka wants there to be a radical change in the "tolerance levels" for bowlers with flawed actions. Sri Lanka Cricket has asked the International Cricket Council to consider allowing all bowlers to straighten their arms by 15%.
That is three times the current leeway available for slow bowlers and 5% more than pace bowlers are allowed.
"This is based on a scientific study of bowling action of all bowlers," said SLC president Mohan de Silva.
Current tolerance limits set by the ICC are five degrees for spinners, 7.5 for medium-pacers and 10 for pacemen.
"We have written to the ICC today asking them to review the tolerance limits," said de Silva.
"We are not sure there should be one limit for a pace bowler and another for a spinner. A pace bowler can deliver a slow ball and a spinner can deliver a fast ball.
"What limits are to be applied in this case is not very clear to us. We want a thorough review of all this."
De Silva said he had the backing of at least six other Test-playing countries in seeking a change of the bowling rules.
He declined to name them, only saying that they were mainly "Asian".
He said Sri Lanka Cricket had assembled a team of lawyers to prepare a document for the ICC.
Their main mission is to defend Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been told that his 'doosra' delivery is illegal.
The bowler was told in April that if he persisted with the ball that spins away from the right-hander he could face a year-long ban.
Even after remedial work, Murali straightens his arm by 10% when bowling the doosra.
MMIX
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