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| Sunday, 18 April 2004 |
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EXCLUSIVE: Chris Broad reported to ICC for boozing with Aussie players by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE Chris Broad, who was Match Referee for the recently concluded Sri Lanka-Australia home cricket series, has been reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) authorities for allegedly boozing with Australian cricketers during the February-March series which SLC claimed is a gross misconduct in breach of ICC rules. This was confirmed by the President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Mohan de Silva who told the 'Sunday Observer' that 'we have got in touch with the ICC in regard to this matter.' Such an offence could amount to the removal of an official in that capacity if established. The Lankan cricket authorities have also taken a serious view as to Broad's impartiality as a match referee consequent to the former England cricketer reporting local spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan to the ICC for a suspect action in delivering his new found 'doosra'. This in the wake of Broad having openly criticised Muralitharan's action as a radio commentator when England toured Sri Lanka in November 2003, his reported boozing with certain Australian cricketers on tour and reporting Muralitharan at his own discretion without any of the umpires raising such a matter which smacked of bias. Dilly dallying... The latest controversy as to Muralitharan's bowling action where Sri Lanka consequently had to seek a bio chemistry expert view as to his 'doosra' from Australia, comes at a juncture the champion bowler with 513 wickets is in a race with Australia's Shane Warne (517) to beat the world record of 519 wickets held by West Indian Courtney Walsh. It has led cricket lovers both at home and abroad questioning whether it is a move to block Muralitharan. In so much as whether it smacked of racism as questioned by an American on holiday here namely Ben Johnson as reported in the 'Sunday Observer' of April 11. The bio mechanic report from the Western Australian University which Sri Lanka Cricket authorities finally confirmed had reached them late last Wednesday after some dilly dallying that it hadn't which left the media in the dark, which of course is not in the best interests of the game, were not made public by SLC on the grounds that it could not do so until the ICC makes its own recommendations. But the SLC reportedly stating that the report would be reviewed by the SLC bowling review group whose recommendations will go before the ICC in effect meant that there was a question mark surrounding Muralitharan's 'doosra'. Meanwhile, when asked as to why the SLC sought views from Australia instead of another country in the face of the Muralitharan chucking controversy which is rooted to that country, a SLC official, who did not wish to be quoted, said that the decision was taken solely by 'Murali's own choice because it was there that he initially underwent bio mechanic testing' which confirmed a defective elbow in his right arm by birth. Muralitharan was first called for a suspect bowling action in 1995 by umpires Darrel Hair and Ross Emerson, and again in 1999 by Ross Emerson, both Australians. But he was cleared by the ICC consequent to testing in Hong Kong by a Sri Lankan bio chemist, Dr. Ranjith Gunatilleke which was confirmed by experts Bruce Elliot and Darryl Foster attached to the Western Australian University, the latter two before whom Muralitharan underwent testing recently in the wake of the latest controversy. |
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