Date-stamped : 02 Jan96 - 02:32
MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN TO PLAY ON

Sri Lanka officials request to meet umpire Hair  rejected  by ACB

MELBOURNE, Dec 30- Sri Lanka will support off-spinner Muttiah Mu-
ralitharan  following his reprimand for throwing by selecting him
for their next match, team officials said on Saturday.

Muralitharan, whose career has come under  threat  after  he  was
no-balled  seven  times  for  throwing  during  the  second  test
against Australia on Tuesday, has also vowed to prove  his  inno-
cence.

The 23-year-old spinner would definitely play  in   the   limited
overs  match against West Indies on Wednesday,  team  manager Du-
leep Mendis told reporters.

"Only one umpire called him for seven deliveries  and   we   will
play him next game. We will play him game by game,`` Mendis said.

"There is no reason why we should leave him out of  next  game we
play.  The next umpire might see it a different way.``

Muralitharan said he would fight to clear his  name,   The   Aus-
tralian newspaper reported on Saturday.

Sri Lanka officials said their official request   to   speak   to
Hair  after  the  match  in  order to clarify his reasons for no-
balling  Mu- ralitharan  had  been  rejected  by  the  Australian
Cricket Board.

"I can understand their point because what they  are  trying   to
say  is  that if it is going to happen after every decision, then
some people might start questioning umpires  after  every game,``
Mendis  told reporters after Sri Lanka`s 10-wicket defeat by Aus-
tralia.

"We just have to accept it and  wait.  We   can`t   do   anything
about it,`` Mendis said, adding that Sri Lanka officials had been
cleared by the ICC to request a meeting with Hair.

But Hair gained some support from Australia  captain  Mark   Tay-
lor,  who  praised the umpire`s courage in making  such  a contr-
oversial ruling.

"He is just doing his job as he sees it. Under   the   rules   of
the  game  he feels the guy is not bowling legitimately so  he is
doing his job and I take my hat off to him for doing  his  job,``
Taylor said.

"I have an opinion on the matter but I am  not   going   to   say
what  it  is because it doesn`t matter what I think  ...  It only
matters what the umpire thinks at the time.``

Muralitharan said he was surprised to be no-balled  in  his  23rd
test match during which he had bowled some 6,000 deliveries.

Source:: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services
<END> Contributed by vg (vpg0001@jove.acs.unt.edu)