Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse on Wednesday sought the support of India and other South Asian countries in his bid to sue the International Cricket Council (ICC) over its decision to outlaw Muttiah Muralitharan's "doosra" delivery.
Rajapakse said he will meet with India's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Nirupam Sen, this week as well as other top diplomats from Bangladesh and Pakistan to seek their views on as well as support for Sri Lanka's defence of Muralitharan.
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"What we are doing is not politics," Rajapakse said. "It is my duty to protect one of our national treasures. Muralitharan is not only the pride of Sri Lanka, but the entire region."
Rajapakse said he would do everything within his power and that of the government to defend the bowler.
He brushed aside ICC chief Ehsan Mani's advise to him as well as his Australian counterpart John Howard to stay out of the Muttiah Muralitharan controversy and allow the ICC to deal with the situation.
It was Howard's remarks last week that he believed Muralitharan was a chucker which prompted Test cricket's world record wicket-taker to consider boycotting Sri Lanka's tour of Australia in July.
Rajapakse then reacted to Howard's remarks by announcing his intention to sue the ICC, but Mani said he had no concerns over the ICC's banning of Muralitharan's doosra.
"I don't know the basis of how we'd be sued, but all our regulations are fully supported by all our members," Mani had said.
Muralitharan, whose unorthodox action has seen him being no-balled for throwing in the past, came under fresh scrutiny because of the 'doosra' and was told last week that if he persists with it he could face a year-long ban.
The off-spinner was sent to Australia to work on his action with biomechanical experts after he was reported by a match referee last month.
After the first stage of the review process had been completed, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the report compiled by the University of Western Australia and forwarded to him by Sri Lanka Cricket meant the 'doosra' could no longer be tolerated.
"The report forwarded by Sri Lanka Cricket proves that the degree of straightening is well outside the ICC's specified levels of tolerance," said Speed.
"In light of this finding, Sri Lanka Cricket has now advised the ICC that it has instructed Muralitharan not to bowl this delivery in international cricket. The ICC supports this action," he added.
The biomechanics' report showed Muralitharan's straightening of arm at the point of delivery was well above the permissible level of five degrees for spinners.
