Gilchrist chided over Murali comments

Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was formally reprimanded by the Australian Cricket Board on Thursday after suggesting Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action was suspect.

The deputy senior commissioner of the ACB's Code of Behaviour, Alan Sullivan, found Gilchrist guilty of making comments detrimental to the interests of cricket.

Gilchrist attended a three-and-a-half-hour hearing in Sydney on Thursday. The wicketkeeper-batsman said after the hearing the ACB code of conduct forbade him from commenting.

Gilchrist, speaking at an Australian Rules football pre-match function in Melbourne on May 26, had been quoted in The Age newspaper as saying the off-spinner's action was "not quite within" the rules.

Gilchrist, the world's top-ranked batsman, was also quoted as saying other bowlers in the history of the sport were guilty of throwing.

Muralitharan, the sixth leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 412 in 73 matches, was called for throwing in Australia in 1995/6 and 1999 but has since been cleared by the International Cricket Council.

"The Deputy Senior Commissioner found that Adam's comments were made innocently and in good faith, but were also detrimental to the interests of the game," ACB chief executive James Sutherland said in an ACB statement.

"As administrators we do not enjoy taking action against our own players, particularly those of Adam's upstanding nature.

"The ACB recognises Adam's outstanding contribution to the image and success of Australian cricket through his conduct, both on and off the field.

"However the Code of Behaviour is in place for a very important reason. Its fundamental purpose is to protect the integrity and credibility of the game of cricket, in this case, particularly in the context of the ACB's relationship with other countries," he said.

Mail Cricket Editor