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Meanwhile, Australia's greatest ever cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, referring to Drill Hare's no-balling Murali was quoted as saying it "was the worst piece of umpiring (he had) ever encountered".
Despite his detractors Murali won accolades from former Australian captain, Steve Waugh, who said he was "the Don Bradman of bowling". Waugh went on to say that he felt Muralitharan's action was perfectly legal.
It should be noted that Muralitharan has many powerful allies in Australia and England.
Examples include Mark Nicholas, Bruce Yardley and Steve Waugh, all of whom have supported Muralitharan publicly. It is claimed that Sir Donald Bradman also spoke very highly of Muralitharan. An extensive ICC study, the results of which were released in November 2004, was conducted to investigate the 'chucking issue'. A panel of former Test players, with the assistance of several biomechanical experts revealed that 99% of all bowlers bent their arms when bowling.
Muralitharan became an ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program, and joined the campaign to prevent children around the world going hungry.
Murali's main weapons include the off-break which turns into the batsman and the stumps, the top-spinner which goes straight on and is bowled at a faster speed then a normal off-break, and his controversial doosra, which is his version of a leg-break that turns away from a batsman and the stumps.
(To be continued).
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