Murali reported to ICC by Martin Crowe

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from New Zealand

CRICKET: Muttiah Muralitharan will always remain the game's most controversial and a marked man. Controversial for his peculiar action and marked when he hits the wicket taking trail and bowls Sri Lanka to victory.

Muralitharan, after he bowled Sri Lanka to a 217-run victory over New Zealand in the Second Test at the Basin Reserve with a 10-wicket for a record 19th time has been reported to the International Cricket Council by former Kiwi skipper Martin Crowe.

In an e-mail to the ICC, Crowe has made known to the controlling body what he thinks of Muralitharan's action.

Crowe says as a member of the MCC World Cricket Committee he is duty-bound to it.

According to Crowe, who apparently is a critic of Muralitharan, the bowler's action appeared to deteriorate when he bowled into the howling wind at the Basin.

Martin Crowe, who was once given out in a Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground and showed that he is a poor sport by refusing to accept the umpire's word as law and leave the wicket, apparently unable to stomach his country's defeat has made this report to the ICC.

It was only recently that Muralitharan was cleared by the ICC and I can imagine what they would want Crowe to do with this report.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardena stood by his bowler and hit out at Crowe asking why he choose to have a go at the bowler when Sri Lanka was cruising to victory at the Basin Reserve, rather when the Kiwis were strolling to victory at Christchurch.

Jayawardena was not alone in his defence of Muralitharan. He and the bowler had support coming from former New Zealand captain John Reid who was on the high-powered ICC illegal action committee that cleared the bowler of chucking six years ago.

Reid claims that Crowe has scant knowledge of the subject and is unknowingly motivating the Sri Lankans by questioning Muralitharan's action.

"Everyone thinks he has a bent elbow."

He hasn't, he can't straighten his elbow. He's got a double-jointed wrist you would'nt believe", said Reid.

Crowe thinks that the ICC should be running yearly warrant of fitness checks on bowlers and one is Muralitharan, to check if they falling back on old habits. "Once they are cleared, they are cleared. How often do you change your action?" Reid asked.

"We had all the tapes and we voted 9-0 that he doesn't chuck", said Reid.

The nine-strong panel that cleared Muralitharan also included Doug Insole (England), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Bob Simpson (Australia), Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Michale Holding (West Indies), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Nigel Plews (Umpires' representative) and Clyde Walcott (West Indies, Chairman).

Wellington Cricket Academy, Wednesday