So says Rowan.
Why did he have to say "...not about racism"?? who is implying it is?
Australia 1-215 d Sri Lanka 8-214 with 15.3 overs to spare.
THANKS to a remarkable Ricky Ponting century, Sri Lanka's wretched tour of Australia ended last night in circumstances similar to those under which it began – a thumping loss clouded by controversy over record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
With Muralitharan again on the sidelines – this time due to a strained thigh muscle – Ponting (116no) and Matthew Hayden (80no) made Sri Lanka's attack appear second-rate as they chased down their modest target of 215 in just 34.3 overs.
And as the Sri Lankans head home for a week's rest ahead of a tough World Cup campaign, former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan again weighed into the debate over Muralitharan's action claiming the spinner's name should be expunged from cricket's record books.
Rowan, who umpired 26 Tests in the 1960s and 1970s, claimed he had spoken to four other former Test umpires recently who agreed Muralitharan's action did not conform with cricket's throwing law.
"It is not based on racism. There is a deep-seated, but not publicly expressed resentment over the bowling action of the Sri Lankan, Muralitharan," Rowan told the Toowoomba Chronicle this week.
"The actions of cricket authorities in permitting and encouraging this man to continue in cricket is incomprehensible and a travesty of justice."
Regardless of the legality of the off-spinner's action, the inescapable fact remains that Sri Lanka is a vastly inferior team when Muralitharan – 304 one-day international wickets – is not on the field.
Their only two wins of this series coincidentally came when the 30-year-old was in the team. Sri Lanka have won just three Tests without Muralitharan (two of those came before he debuted) and won just 16 of the 62 one-day internationals they've contested without him since he played his first limited-overs game in 1993.
Muralitharan has already warned he will consider boycotting future tours to Australia because of the treatment he receives from local crowds and media.
But Sri Lanka's acting captain Marvan Atapattu – regular skipper Sanath Jayasuriya took a break yesterday because of the stress he's been under on this tour – suggested he may not carry out his threat.
"The day he said that was after the Brisbane one-dayer and he must have been hurt the way he was treated. On the spur of the moment he said that," Atapattu said last night.
Ponting said the Australian batsmen on the whole were able to pick Muralitharan's deliveries, but found playing them a much tougher task because of the pace and amount of fizz he imparts on the ball.
Sri Lanka's batsmen, so adept against spin, had similar problems deciphering Australian Brad Hogg's left-arm wrist spin as he further justified the faith selectors placed in him by naming in the World Cup squad. The 31-year-old's 3-37 yesterday installed him as Australia's leading wicket-taker of the series, an honour which seemed unthinkable when he returned a forgettable 0-75 off nine overs in his first match of the year against Sri Lanka.
After Sri Lanka galloped away at five runs an over yesterday, Hogg's spin reeled them in and their total of 214, underpinned by Aravinda de Silva's patient 44 from 73 balls in his last appearance in Australia, was obviously inadequate.
Just how short became painfully obvious as Ponting and Hayden put together a contemptuous second-wicket stand of 178 from 169 balls.
Meanwhile, a decision on whether Australia will rush legspinner Shane Warne back into their team for the one-day finals will be made in Sydney today following further medical examination of his right shoulder at the MCG yesterday.
Why did he have to say "...not about racism"?? who is implying it is?
Australia 1-215 d Sri Lanka 8-214 with 15.3 overs to spare.
THANKS to a remarkable Ricky Ponting century, Sri Lanka's wretched tour of Australia ended last night in circumstances similar to those under which it began – a thumping loss clouded by controversy over record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
With Muralitharan again on the sidelines – this time due to a strained thigh muscle – Ponting (116no) and Matthew Hayden (80no) made Sri Lanka's attack appear second-rate as they chased down their modest target of 215 in just 34.3 overs.
And as the Sri Lankans head home for a week's rest ahead of a tough World Cup campaign, former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan again weighed into the debate over Muralitharan's action claiming the spinner's name should be expunged from cricket's record books.
Rowan, who umpired 26 Tests in the 1960s and 1970s, claimed he had spoken to four other former Test umpires recently who agreed Muralitharan's action did not conform with cricket's throwing law.
"It is not based on racism. There is a deep-seated, but not publicly expressed resentment over the bowling action of the Sri Lankan, Muralitharan," Rowan told the Toowoomba Chronicle this week.
"The actions of cricket authorities in permitting and encouraging this man to continue in cricket is incomprehensible and a travesty of justice."
Regardless of the legality of the off-spinner's action, the inescapable fact remains that Sri Lanka is a vastly inferior team when Muralitharan – 304 one-day international wickets – is not on the field.
Their only two wins of this series coincidentally came when the 30-year-old was in the team. Sri Lanka have won just three Tests without Muralitharan (two of those came before he debuted) and won just 16 of the 62 one-day internationals they've contested without him since he played his first limited-overs game in 1993.
Muralitharan has already warned he will consider boycotting future tours to Australia because of the treatment he receives from local crowds and media.
But Sri Lanka's acting captain Marvan Atapattu – regular skipper Sanath Jayasuriya took a break yesterday because of the stress he's been under on this tour – suggested he may not carry out his threat.
"The day he said that was after the Brisbane one-dayer and he must have been hurt the way he was treated. On the spur of the moment he said that," Atapattu said last night.
Ponting said the Australian batsmen on the whole were able to pick Muralitharan's deliveries, but found playing them a much tougher task because of the pace and amount of fizz he imparts on the ball.
Sri Lanka's batsmen, so adept against spin, had similar problems deciphering Australian Brad Hogg's left-arm wrist spin as he further justified the faith selectors placed in him by naming in the World Cup squad. The 31-year-old's 3-37 yesterday installed him as Australia's leading wicket-taker of the series, an honour which seemed unthinkable when he returned a forgettable 0-75 off nine overs in his first match of the year against Sri Lanka.
After Sri Lanka galloped away at five runs an over yesterday, Hogg's spin reeled them in and their total of 214, underpinned by Aravinda de Silva's patient 44 from 73 balls in his last appearance in Australia, was obviously inadequate.
Just how short became painfully obvious as Ponting and Hayden put together a contemptuous second-wicket stand of 178 from 169 balls.
Meanwhile, a decision on whether Australia will rush legspinner Shane Warne back into their team for the one-day finals will be made in Sydney today following further medical examination of his right shoulder at the MCG yesterday.
