Muralitharan given all clear to use 'doosra'

Spinner Murali - who has always maintained that he cannot straighten his arm fully - fell under increasing scrutiny this year when ICC match referee Chris Broad reported his wrong deliveries to the world governing body at the end of a Test series with Australia in March.

The Sri Lankan, who became the most prolific bowler in Test history recently, only to be passed by rival Shane Warne, went to some lengths to clear himself, even wearing a cast over his elbow in bowling tests to show that he could still spin the ball viciously.

Ironically, he is now sidelined with a shoulder injury, most probably aggravated by wearing that contraption.

Now a six-man ICC committee, convened in Dubai, has given the green light to all bowlers kinking their arms by 15 degrees.

Technological research showed that even those assumed to have pure actions like South Africa's Shaun Pollock and Australian Glenn McGrath "chuck" to some extent.

Biomechanics showed that plenty of all-time greats exceeded the previous restrictions of five degrees for spinners and 10 for fast bowlers and subsequently a new universal tolerance level of 15 was set.

Murali was found to straighten his elbow to 14 degrees when sending down his doosra, which the ICC banned him from bowling after Broad's report.

The recommendations need to be rubber-stamped at February's ICC annual general meeting.