Editing Muttiah Muralitharan (section)

===Third citation and testing===
Muralitharan continued bowling, taking his 500th Test wicket in the second Test against Australia in Kandy on {{Nowrap|16 March}} 2004. At the end of the series his [[doosra]] delivery was officially called into question by match referee [[Chris Broad (cricketer)|Chris Broad]]. At the [[University of Western Australia]] (Department of Human Movement and Exercise Science), three-dimensional kinematic measurements of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling arm were taken using an optical motion capture system while he bowled his doosra. Muralitharan's mean elbow extension angle for the doosra delivery was 14°, which was subsequently reduced to a mean of 10.2° after remedial training at the university. The findings reported to ICC by the [[University of Western Australia]]'s study<ref name="The Murali Report">{{cite report | author=Elliott, B., Alderson, J., Reid, S. and Foster, D. | title = The Murali Report, Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Movement and Exercise Science, The University of Western Australia | publisher=University of Western Australia | year = 2004}}</ref> was that Muralitharan's doosra contravened the established ICC elbow extension limit of 5° for spinners.<ref name="ICC's high-tech solution too late for Murali">{{Cite news|last=Pierik|first=Jon|date=14 November 2007|title=IICC's high-tech solution too late for Murali|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22754759-5006069,00.html|access-date=9 March 2008|archive-date=30 December 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230200859/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/iccs-new-bowling-test/story-e6frey50-1111114870167|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="The Hindu 2004-04-29">{{Cite news |date=29 April 2004 |title=Murali's 'doosra' doesn't conform to ICC stipulation but should be allowed: UWA report |url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/04/29/stories/2004042905562200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040702170502/http://www.hindu.com/2004/04/29/stories/2004042905562200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 July 2004 |location=Chennai, India |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=1 January 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Rediff Murali report">{{Cite news |date=15 May 2004 |title=The Rediff Special: The Murali Report |url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/may/15murali.htm |work=Rediff.com |access-date=15 December 2007 |archive-date=28 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828152907/http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/may/15murali.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Under the original throwing Laws of Cricket, the umpires officiating were under an obligation to call "no-ball" to a delivery that they were not entirely happy was absolutely fair. This Law gave the umpires absolutely no discretion. In 2000, the Laws were changed to put an allowable figure of straightening of 5° for spinners, 7.5° for medium pacers and 10° for fast bowlers in an attempt to more clearly define what was legal.<ref>[http://www.coachesinfo.com/category/cricket/351/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185540/http://www.coachesinfo.com/category/cricket/351/|date=27 September 2007}}</ref> But these figures proved difficult to enforce due to umpires being unable to discern actual amounts of straightening and the differentiation between the three different allowable figures. Testing in Test match conditions is not currently possible "when the identification of elbow and shoulder joint centres in on-field data collection, where a shirt is worn, also involves large errors. In a match the ability to differentiate anatomical movements such as 'elbow extension' by digitising segment end-points, particularly if you have segment rotations, is extremely difficult and prone to error.<ref name="Special Report on the Controversial doosra">{{cite report|title=Special Report on the Controversial doosra bowling action based on UniSA scientific study: As per the invitation made by David Richardson, General Manager, ICC|author1=[[Mahinda Pathegama Pathegama]], M.|author2=Göl, Ö|publisher=EIE, University of South Australia|year=2004}}</ref> This is certainly the case with spin bowlers. It is therefore not surprising that laboratory testing is preferred, particularly for spin bowlers, where an appropriate pitch length and run-up can be structured. This is clearly the only way to test players, where data would be able to withstand scientific and therefore legal scrutiny."<ref name="Rediff Murali report"/>

An extensive ICC study, the results of which were released in November 2004, was conducted to investigate the "chucking issue". A laboratory kinematic analysis of 42 non-Test playing bowlers done by Ferdinands and Kersting (2004) established that the 5° limit for slow and spin bowlers was particularly impractical.<ref name="Ferdinands, Kersting bowling action research">{{Cite journal|title=An evaluation of biomechanical measures of bowling action legality in cricket |journal=Sports Biomechanics |volume=6 |issue=3 |date=September 2007 |pages=315–333 |doi=10.1080/14763140701489884 |pmid=17933195 |last1=Ferdinands |first1=R. E. |last2=Kersting |first2=U. G. |s2cid=40042760 }}</ref>

Due to the overwhelming scientific findings, researchers recommended that a flat rate of 15° tolerable elbow extension be used to define a preliminary demarcation point between bowling and throwing. A panel of former Test players consisting of [[Aravinda de Silva]], [[Angus Fraser]], [[Michael Holding]], [[Tony Lewis]], [[Tim May]] and the ICC's [[Dave Richardson (South African cricketer)|Dave Richardson]], with the assistance of several biomechanical experts, stated that 99% of all bowlers in the history of cricket straighten their arms when bowling.<ref name="ICC study">{{cite web |url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/141558.html |title=ICC study reveals that 99% of bowlers throw |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |date=10 November 2004 |access-date=20 December 2006 |archive-date=14 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214110807/http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/141558.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Only one player tested (part-time bowler [[Ramnaresh Sarwan]]) reportedly did not transgress the pre 2000 rules.<ref name="ICC study" /> Many of these reports have controversially not been published and as such, the 99% figure stated has yet to be proved. In fact, Muralitharan stirred up controversy when he said during an interview with a Melbourne radio station that [[Jason Gillespie]], [[Glenn McGrath]] and [[Brett Lee]] flexed their arms by 12, 13 and 14–15 degrees respectively, although it is unclear as to where Muralitharan quoted these figures from. Muralitharan was censured by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board for these comments.<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 November 2004 |title=Muralitharan censured over throwing remarks |url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200411/s1246049.htm |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Sport (Australia)]] |agency=Reuters |access-date=31 January 2008 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The ICC Executive was asked to ratify the panel's recommendations at the ICC's Annual General Meeting in February 2005. Based on the recommendations the ICC issued a new guideline (which was effective from {{Nowrap|1 March}} 2005) allowing for extensions or hyperextensions of up to 15 degrees for all types of bowlers, thus deeming Muralitharan's doosra to be legal.<ref name="ICC Revision of bowling regulation">{{Cite news|date=5 February 2005|title=ICC relaxes bowling regulations|work=BBC Sport Cricket|location=London|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/4238403.stm|access-date=10 February 2008|archive-date=19 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419083723/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/4238403.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="What is an illegal action?">{{Cite news |date=17 November 2005 |title=What is an illegal action? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4404874.stm |work=BBC Sport Cricket |location=London |access-date=9 February 2008 |archive-date=24 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224161920/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4404874.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Explaining why the maximum level of 15 degrees was arrived at, panel member [[Angus Fraser]] stated "That is the number which [[Sports Biomechanics|biomechanics]] says that it (straightening) becomes visible. It is difficult for the naked eye to see less than 15 degrees in a bowler's action. We found when the biceps reached the shoulder the amount of bend was around 165 degrees. Very few bowlers can get to 180 degrees because the joint doesn't allow that.&nbsp;... but once you go further than 15 degrees you get into an area which is starting to give you an unfair advantage and you are breaking the law".<ref name="What is an illegal action?" />