KINK KONTROVERSY

Despite this Day of Infamy, this Black Monday, I don't want to go over old ground; I'll just scrap-book what the "experts" are saying in a calm and unbiased fashion.

Simon Barnes: mad Pom.

Stand by for Aussie outrage

NOW that Muttiah Muralidaran has broken Shane Warne's Test wicket record, brace yourself for a wave of resentment, most of it from Australia.

Jon Pierik: sensible Strayan.

ICC rule glosses over doubts

THERE has been mixed emotions for cricket fans coming to terms with Muthiah Muralidaran surpassing Shane Warne as the game's greatest Test wicket-taker.

While Muralidaran's grit and determination to overcome adversity and injury cannot be denied, only one question arises when the Kandy man's name is mentioned - is he a chucker?

While current rules suggest otherwise, the answer has to be yes.

Jon Pierik & Crash Craddock: two sensible Strayans.

Critics attack Murali record

MUTTIAH Muralidaran became the world's greatest Test wicket-taker last night and critics immediately demanded his name be scrapped from the record books.

Ben Dorries: Strayan dummy.

Wizard passes the test

We should love him for the colour and wizardry he has brought to cricket, not loathe him for the kinks in his action that have divided the cricket world.

Statistics don't lie and they tell us Muralidaran has played 29 fewer Tests than Warne and averaged 21 runs a wicket, compared to Warne's 25.

It is true that Murali's record is puffed out because he has 163 Test wickets against minnows Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Why shouldn't we loathe him for the kinks in his action? We loathe Ben Johnson for the kinks in his bloodstream. And no sensible fan gives a shit that his record is puffed out with wickets against minnows. We give a shit that his record is puffed out by kinks in his action.

Greg Baum: sorta-sensible Strayan.

Murali's success is no optical illusion

MURALI'S had the last laugh. He now holds the world wicket-taking record, and it is improbable that anyone will take it from him any time soon. Posterity can argue all it likes about his entitlement, but his mark will remain.

Kuldip Lal: who?

Murali overcomes all to take world record

Muralidaran's bent-arm action, the result of an elbow deformity since birth, helped him impart considerable turn and bounce even on the most placid wickets.

The International Cricket Council cleared Muralidaran's action and even amended the law two years ago to allow a 15-degree flexibility in the bowling arm.

His action has not been questioned since by umpires, but critics remain, with former India captain and classical left-arm spinner Bishan Bedi labelling him a "javelin thrower".

Will Swanton: Ummm...

Bedi points finger at Harbhajan

LEGENDARY Indian spinner Bishen Bedi has branded countryman Harbhajan Singh a chucker and blasted the International Cricket Council for ignoring what he believes is a greater blight on cricket than the match-fixing scandal.

Bedi previously has been so outspoken about Muthiah Muralidaran's action that the Sri Lankan has threatened a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. But now Bedi has included Harbhajan Singh on his hit-list.

"He (Harbhajan) is not any different," Bedi told The Sunday Age yesterday. "The ICC is turning a blind eye to both of them. They are blind to this monstrous problem and it is unfair and undesirable.

Herald Sun: Strayan paper.

Vote early, vote often.

Comments

[Tony T.]

1.

But don't let me stop you taking pot-shots. You might have to form an orderly line when it comes to slapping Simon Barnes, though, or form an angry mob. It's up to you.

[Scott Wickstein]

2.

I've always preferred being part of an angry mob myself.

[Tony T.]

3.

Barnes certainly deserves the angry mob treatment. With burning torches, rakes, scythes, the works.

[Yobbo]

4.

*

[2BarRiff]

5.

"The International Cricket Council cleared Muralidaran's action and even amended the law two years ago to allow a 15-degree flexibility in the bowling arm."

But if the ICC cleared the action, why would it need the law ammended?

[Mark]

6.

Barnes is a sanctimonious dickhead.

'Stand by for Aussie outrage'?? Ignores the fact that you've been outraged since 1995!!

[Ian]

7.

Interesting dilemna for cricket ... #1 wicket taker is a cheat, #2 is a complete tool of a person.

[Uncle J Rod]

8.

I really do wanna have Bishen bedi's babies.

[RT]

9.

Thanks for your opinion Simon. Hey Murali broke the record, let's have a dig at the Aussies. One of the worst articles I've ever read. Please Tone, no more Barnes articles. That guy makes Roebuck, Coward, Conn and co seem like Neville Cardus.

Nice heading by the way.

[David Barry]

10.

The Greg Baum article contains an odd line: "Meantime, he took bags of wickets — 60 in 10 Tests in one stretch..." Murali averages more than 6 wickets per Test over his entire career.

I don't have a problem with Murali's action, though I reserve a bit of doubt in the absence of the data on other bowlers. The ICC's reason for not releasing the details of their 2004 study (which led to the 15-degree limit) is player confidentiality. It's OK for a bowler to play in front of tens of millions of telespectators, but if he's watched with a few high-speed cameras, that's an invasion of privacy or something.

[RT]

11.

Great test match by the way. Sangers one of the elite.

[Pedro the Ignorant]

12.

I echo Yobbo's comment above; "*".

[Ian Meckiff]

13.

Dave, it's not an invasion of privacy, it's purely CYA by the ICC.

[FDB]

14.

Better get voting if you haven't already - "legal" has a handy lead.

[David Barry]

15.

Sorry Ian, I should have said "official reason".