10 Biggest Controversies in Cricket History

6. Murali Being No-Balled €“ Australia vs. Sri Lanka, 1995-96

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J5hjUuE_m0 The amazing Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan remains a controversial figure in cricket. His unique bowling action, the result of a congenital deformity in his right arm, allowed him to impart enormous spin on the ball, leading to 800 test wickets and 534 ODI wickets, both of them being world records. But accusations that he chucks or throws the ball have dogged him throughout his career, and they all started at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1995. During the Boxing Day Test Match, Australian umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Murali seven times, believing that he was straightening his bowling arm during his delivery and thereby contravening the laws of cricket. Ten days later, in January 1996, Murali was no-balled a further seven times by umpire Ross Emerson during a triangular ODI against the West Indies in Brisbane. Murali was jeered by the Australian crowds, who would later make a habit of shouting €œNo-ball!€ during his deliveries. Debate raged as to whether Murali was genuinely throwing the ball or whether his wristy action created the illusion of throwing. Sir Don Bradman, widely regarded as the greatest ever batsman, called it €œthe worst example of umpiring I have ever seen, and against everything the game stands for.€ Murali underwent biomechanical testing on his bowling arm to determine whether his action was legal. In his Spirit of Cricket lecture in 2011, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara cited this event as the moment which galvanised Sri Lanka into winning the subsequent World Cup. What Happened Next: Muralitharan was cleared by the ICC and allowed to continue bowling. Sri Lanka, spurred on by this incident, went on to beat Australia to win the 1996 World Cup.