Murali set to sue Bedi

Chris DHAMBARAGE

CRICKET: Sri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has decided to file a defamation case against India’s former Test cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi following his recent remarks that were intended to harm the bowler’s reputation and achievements.

Bedi who represented India in 67 Test matches had stated that Muralitharan was taking advantage of his physical deformity and that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had created a ‘monster’ by allowing him to continue to bowl.

Kushil Gunasekera Manager of Muttiah Muralitharan yesterday confirmed that Bedi’s remarks were being studied and that legal action was being contemplated.

He said that initially a letter of demand will be sent to Bedi and the rest of the procedure will be completed according to his response. This was of course not the first time that Muralitharan had been attacked by Bedi who made a similar scathing comment on his bowling action in June 2004.

However Gunasekera said that this time Bedi had gone beyond the limit and has called Muralitharan a cheat while tarnishing his image, integrity and reputation.

The 35 year old Sri Lankan spin wizard is expected to become the highest wicket taker in Test cricket needing only nine scalps to overtake retired Australian spinner Shane Warne’s record of 708 wickets. Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour Australia in November for two Test matches in Brisbane and Hobart.

Gunasekera said that Bedi’s comments are made at a time when Muralitharan is at the threshold of another unique milestone. He added that the whole idea may be to distract Muralitharan and to prompt those who are against the off spinner to call for further tests on his bowling action.

Gunasekera said that everytime Muralitharan was tested he had proved his legality and has been approved by the ICC. In fact Muralitharan was called for throwing by umpire Darrel Hair in the Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne in 1995/96 and again in the one day series that followed.

However he was cleared by the International Cricket Council after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the University of Hong Kong in 1996.

But the controversy continued and he was called again during the 1998/99 tour to Australia this time by umpire Ross Emerson. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again by the ICC.

However the perfection of his doosra prompted further suspicion and at the end of a prolific three match home series against Australia in March 2004 he was reported by the ICC match referee Chris Broad.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board sources also said that they would support Muralitharan in filing an independent case against Bedi without involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Gunasekera said that nothing would really upset the concentration of Muralitharan who is more determined to perform well in the coming season.

In fact Muralitharan has already captured 45 wickets for Lancashire from six matches at an average of 16.2 in the on-going English County season. His latest heroics came when he picked up five wickets for 66 runs that helped his team beat Yorkshire by an innings and 126 runs.

Muralitharan has now picked up five wickets in an innings on five occasions this County Season with a best effort of 6 for 72. Overall he has claimed at least five wickets in all 26 championship matches for Lancashire.

Bedi has long been a critic of Muralitharan’s action and even linked him to a javelin thrower. He has always maintained that Muralitharan’s bowling action was illegal and had also written in a leading sports magazine that cheating is a subcontinental trait.

Bedi has been the centre of many controversies in the recent past having also had a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the former Indian opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar.

Bedi has said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had no right to stop players from joining the highly controversial rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). Bedi felt the BCCI was scared that if the ICL did well then it would show up the Board’s own inefficiency.

Bedi delivered another scathing salvo against the former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar in the wake of recent happenings in Indian cricket. He termed Gavaskar as a destructive influence and felt he always liked power without accountability.