Illegal bowling actions top ICC agenda

Illegal bowling actions will be at the forefront of discussions at a two-day meeting of the cricket committee of the International Cricket Council starting in Dubai Thursday.

Also on the agenda for the 12-member committee, an advisory body chaired by legendary India batsman Sunil Gavaskar, are a report on umpires and match referees performances during 2003-04.

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Plans for future technology trials, following on from the 2003 experiments in South Africa where umpires were given ear-pieces linked to stump microphones to help them rule on thin edges and special white markings in line with the leg stump to assist with lbw decisions, will be considered as well.

But it is the issue of illegal bowling actions, one of cricket's most intractable problems, which is likely to excite most interest.

The subject has been thrown into sharp relief by the controversy surrounding Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Last week Murali set a new world record of 521 Test wickets against Zimbabwe in Harare, breaking the previous mark of 519 of retired West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh.

Murali, whose unorthodox action has seen him no-balled for 'throwing' in the past, has come under fresh scrutiny because of his 'doosra' delivery. The off-spinner was advised by the Sri Lankan board to stop bowling the 'doosra.'