Muralitharan called for 'throwing'
Sri Lanka threaten to pull out of tri-series
ADELAIDE, Jan 23 (AP): Controversial spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was accused of throwing Saturday as umpire Ross Emerson reopened deep wounds between Australia and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan cricket board chief executive Dammika Ranatunga said urgent talks were needed with the Australian Cricket Board and that the team might pull out of the tour if a suitable outcome was not found.
"This will be a very painful decision and I hope we don't have to take it," Ranatunga told The Associated Press in Colombo. "But happenings in Australia have also been very painful for me and the entire country and I do not rule out the extreme action if this continues."
Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga blamed the ACB for the chaotic scenes as Emerson no-balled Muralitharan once in a limited-overs match against England at the Adelaide Oval.
Ranatunga called on the Sri Lankan government to lobby for the removal of Emerson as an umpire in Sri Lanka's future matches.
Emerson was one of three Australian umpires who no-balled Muralitharan for throwing on Sri Lanka's previous tour Down Under in 1995-96.
"I never thought it would happen because he has bowled all over the world and he's never had a problem at all," Arjuna Ranatunga said after the match. "Suddenly one guy comes and calls him - it's an unfortunate incident and it's really bad on Australian cricket's part. I blame the individual and I blame the people who are responsible for it."
Ranatunga led his team towards the dressingroom after Emerson's no-ball call.
After a delay of 12 minutes, including contact between Sri Lankan officials at the ground and the Sri Lankan cricket board president Thilanga Sumahipala, the match continued.
Sri Lanka scored a stirring victory, chasing a record 303 to win and reaching the target with two balls to spare.
Muralitharan was last no-balled three years ago when Australians Emerson, Tony McQuillan and Darrell Hair decided his unusual action was illegal. He was later cleared by the International Cricket Council.
Sri Lankan team manager Ranjit Fernando said the team had been apprehensive before the match because Emerson and McQuillan were the officials.
But the call still came as a shock.
"There was a bit of desperation as soon as this happened," Fernando said. "It took everyone by surprise by virtue of the fact that Muralitharan was fair and no-one expected this to happen."
Muralitharan has been heckled by fans throughout the current tour and was facing his original accusers for the first time in a match since they no-balled him several times in a one-day international in Brisbane in January 1996.
Emerson made the call Saturday on the fourth ball of Muralitharan's second over. As Ranatunga came in to ask why the no-ball was called, Emerson, a former policeman, pointed to his elbow to indicate the ball had been thrown.
Arjuna Ranatunga spoke heatedly to Emerson before leading his team to the gate at the edge of Adelaide Oval.
They remained there as match referee Peter van der Merwe came onto the ground to join in discussions.
Fernando said Ranatunga never intended quitting the match.
"Arjuna walked out with his team merely to get clarification as to how we should proceed," said Fernando. "The Sri Lankan board at no stage would have wanted the match to have been abandoned in a situation like this."
Tempers were also high between the two teams at the finish and England captain Alec Stewart was unhappy with some of the incidents.
"We have all been brought up if the umpire makes a decision you accept it," Stewart said. "Today that didn't happen."
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