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It's more than Murali
The issue of illegal bowling actions has existed since over arm or round arm as it was first known, came into origin. There have been periods when this problem has raised its head but temporarily remedial action has served the day. However, it has been a cancer in the game - no cure todate.

With the advent of close scrutiny by TV cameras, bringing about replays at many different speeds and from many different angles, bowlers cannot get away with flawed actions.

In 1995 Henry Olonga of Zimbabwe was no balled for chucking in a Test match. The last occasion this occurred was in 1963 when Australian Ian Meckiff was called playing against South Africa.

Not long after Muttiah Muralitharan is "no balled" the same year, on Boxing Day, playing against the Australians. He is called again subsequently in a one dayer. A can of worms is opened, as Sri Lankan cricket authorities begin their battle to safeguard the off spinner.

In 1996 Murali undergoes bio-mechanical tests in Australia . Analysts view pictures of his action from six different angles, shot at 200 frames per second. Their report says that he suffers from an eleven degree congenital deformity of the right arm which means he cannot straighten the arm fully while bowling. His action is cleared by the ICC in 1998.

Meanwhile Henry Olonga, undergoes remedial work on his bowling action and comes back to International Cricket. He is cleared and continues to play without hiccups until 2003, when be hangs up his boots.

Muralitharan is called again in Australia in 1999 which leads to further unpleasantness both on and off the field. The ICC decided to step in and formulate a formal process of a bowler being reported and the subsequent action to be taken at international level. In other forms of the game, the standard law, now number 24.3, continues to be operative.

Around the turn of the century and at the beginning of this century two lethal fast bowlers enter the world cricket scene. From the outset, their actions are under scrutiny as they let fly thunderbolts.

Akthar is the first player to be reported under the new system. He is banned from playing test cricket and is only limited to play one dayers. Bret Lee is reported and cleared by a 12 man ICC panel. The Pakistani paceman's problems continue until he too visits the Department of Human Movement of the University of Western Australia, who pronounced their diagnosis of Muralitharan. The report concludes: "He has hyper-mobility in both his left shoulders and elbow joints, that gives his action a suspect appearance." This sets Akthar free, to bowl as he wishes to.

Last year a study was carried out by Marc Portus, Cricket Australia's Sports Science Officer, subjecting 34 deliveries from 21 different fast bowlers in match situations, to three dimensional bio-mechanical analysis. It confirms that virtually all these bowlers strengthen a bent elbow to some extent. The average revealed being about eleven degrees.

Here is a paragraph from a recent cricket journal" "This is a piovotal time in the history of cricket and it is important that no one, neither Murali nor anyone else, be punished or proceeded against, till the ICC re-thinks its 'tolerance limits' because in their present from they are inconsistent, discriminatory and unenforceable."

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