You might feel better to know what a respected cricket columnist Rob Steen wrote in the Financial Times, a highly respected newspaper the world over in the November 13 issue. I quote. "Muttiah Muralitharan won an award last month that even by his garlanded standards, must have meant a great deal: a place on Time magazine’s annual 20 young Asian Heroes’ Scroll".

He further says "Throwing, chucking, pinging call it what you will: bent arms have always been cricket’s most reliable source of controversy, both technical and moral, ruining reputations and killing careers".

Now biomechanics experts commissioned by the International Cricket Council have insisted this week that 99 per cent of bowlers, past and present, have infringed the law". Cricketing ethics are curious. To bowl bouncers at a number 11’s skull is fine and proper to bend your arm a fraction makes you as a fully fledged undesirable".

"During September champions Trophy competition in England, 13 of the 23 bowlers filmed bent their arms more than permitted. Even Glen Mc Grath and Shaun Pollock, those paragons of classical purity, occasionally bent their right arm by 12 degrees".

He concludes, "Professor Bruce Elliot and his biomechanics colleagues also examined videos and found unexpectedly flexible readings for Ian Botham `85 and many more. Somewhere in England as he publishes his memoirs, Fred Trueman will be fuming. Somewhere in Barbados, Charlie Griffith, the most mercilessly hounded ‘chucker’ of all, is doubtless feeling vindicated".

So dear Murali, You stand not only vindicated but most of all respected and honoured. Go out there and show what you are made of and earn more honour for your motherland, Sri Lanka.

There is a saying Murali "if you get your head above the crowd, you are going to be criticized. So get used to it".

P. S. Mahawatte
Colombo 5.