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Is Murali action legal?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 16, 2026

Murali's action is legal, but he has suffered more than anyone needs to. Few cricketers have had to shoulder his burdens - as a minority Tamil in a strife-laden country, as a bowler worshipped and reviled in equal measure, as a player in a team whose fortunes rose or fell according to his performance.

Is Muralitharan bowling illegal?

The ICC tweaked its laws of the game in 2005, allowing the extent of the arm's straightening to be 15 degrees, rendering Muralitharan's action legitimate, after an investigation revealed that the vast majority of bowlers active in cricket at the time were also bowling with an illegal amount of flex.

Is Muttiah Muralitharan chucking?

At the receiving end of a scathing attack from Muttiah Muralitharan, his long-time detractor Bishen Singh Bedi today hit back at the retired Sri Lankan spin great by maintaining that he was indeed a "chucker".

Is Malinga bowling action legal?

In the modern game, the Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga has a very distinctive action which is authentic roundarm, earning him the name "Slinga Malinga". There are some who question the legality of this action, but it is legal, because his arm does not straighten from a bent position as he bowls.

Was Muralitharan a thrower?

Muralitharan has been called for throwing on three separate occasions, by three different umpires, but only in Australia, prompting accusations that his no balling was a cynical nationalistic conspiracy designed to undermine Sri Lanka's major weapon.

40 related questions found

Is Muttiah Muralitharan action legal?

In 2005 the ICC changed the laws of the game to allow bowlers "to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees" - a figure that rendered Muralitharan's action legitimate.

Can Ashwin break Muralitharan record?

With a tally of 427 Test wickets, the Indian off-spinner is already the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history for India. In fact, Muralitharan had recently tipped Ashwin to break his record of 800 Test wickets. “Ashwin has a chance because he is a great bowler.

What is an illegal bowling action?

In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens the bowling arm when delivering the ball.

How do I know if my bowling action is illegal?

An Illegal Bowling Action is where a player is throwing rather than bowling the ball. This is defined by the ICC as being where the player's elbow extends by an amount of more than 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released.

Why is chucking not allowed in cricket?

Chucking is illegal in Cricket because it gives the bowler an unfair advantage. The same reason, why as a footballer you cannot just score a goal by putting the ball into the net with your hands.

Is Muralitharan playing CPL?

Kingston, Jamaica:

Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan has been confirmed as the sixth and final international franchise player for this year's Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Is Muttiah Muralitharan wrist spinner?

Muttiah Muralitharan revealed that he bowled leg-spin in his formative years since one of his teammates was an off-spinner due to which he could not find a spot in the side. With yet another spinner in the ranks, he could not bag a place in the team hence for a variation; he resorted to wrist-spin.

Is Muralitharan Indian?

The reason for this special status – Muttiah Muralitharan's family originates from India. His grandfather, Periyasamy Sinasamy came from South India to work in the tea plantations of central Sri Lanka in 1920. He settled there for a long time and gave birth to Muralitharan's father, Muttiah.

At what age Muralitharan retired?

Muralitharan, who retired from all international cricket on Saturday at the age of 38, provided the heartbeat of the Sri Lankan team after his test debut against Australia in 1992.

Is underarm bowl illegal?

The Laws of Cricket now (2000 Code) declare that an underarm delivery is illegal unless otherwise agreed before the match. A delivery is a no-ball if it bounces more than twice before passing the popping crease: an underarm delivery cannot be performed rolling along the ground.

Can a bowler change his action?

Yes, a bowler is allowed to change his actions mid way through the over but must, without fail, inform the umpire such that he and the batsmen both are aware of the change. There are also two cases associated with this: 1. The bowler continues to bowl with his preferred arm, only changes the way he delivers the ball.

Is there any speed limit for spin bowlers?

The speed the ball travels is not critical, and is significantly slower than that for fast bowling. A typical spin delivery has a speed in the range 70–90 km/h (45–55 mph).

Is Shoaib Akhtar bowling action legal?

Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest bowler in the world, passed a distressed Millennium Eve in a Perth hotel room after being banned from international cricket for a month because of an illegal bowling action.

Why doosra is not allowed in cricket?

Most bowlers, such as Johan Botha and Shane Shillingford, are not allowed to bowl doosras because, when they do so, their bowling actions are illegal as when they straighten their arms it's more than 15°.

What is the fastest bowling ball ever thrown?

The fastest bowling ball speed (MPH) is recorded at 100.2 miles per hour (161.3 kilometers per hour). The fastest bowling ball record is held by Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan when he took the fastest recorded shot in 2002. With this record, Shoaib became the first bowler to break the 100 mph barrier.

Who has taken fastest 300 Test wickets?

With Nicholls's dismissal, Ashwin became only the second Indian bowler to take 300 Test wickets in home conditions, after Anil Kumble. Ashwin also became the second-fastest bowler after Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan to take 300 Test wickets at home.

When did Murali get 800 wickets?

#OnThisDay in 2010, Muttiah Muralitharan bid farewell to Test cricket, picking his 800th wicket off his final ball.

Is Muralitharan Tamil or Sinhalese?

Muralitharan was born 17 April 1972 to a Hill Country Tamil Hindu family in Kandy, Sri Lanka, the eldest of the four sons to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi. Muralitharan's father, Sinnasamy Muttiah, runs a successful biscuit-making business.