Former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi is not against individuals, but is concerned about youngsters emulating ‘chukers’ who have been licensed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to use ‘unfair’ means in the “Gentleman’s game”.

“I am blaming the ICC, not Muralitharan. On what basis has the ICC cleared his action?” Bedi questioned.
The 60-year-old recently compared Muralitharan’s bowling action to that of a ‘’shot putter’’, following which Murali is reported to have filed a defamation suit against the outspoken former Indian spinner.

Murali’s bowling action was cleared by the ICC after a biomechanical analysis, concluding that his action creates only an ‘optical illusion of throwing’.

ICC even issued a new guideline allowing for extensions or hyperextensions of up to 15 degrees by the bowlers.
This resulted in legalising Murali’s ‘Doosra’, which was considered to be bowled with the most controversial action.

Bedi, however, has questioned the basis on which ICC arrived on the new rules.

“Who will decide whether it should be 14, 15 or 16 degrees and giving a license to unfair bowling action is not cricket, which is supposed to be a fair, upright and honest game.

“Is it good for the game? Youngsters are emulating such players,” he opined.

Making a comparison between two evils of the game, ‘match fixing’ and ‘chucking’, the left-arm spinner said, “I would say chucking is even worse than match fixing.

“Match fixing, was done out of public view, on the other hand, chucking is going on in front of everyone,” Bedi added.

With Murali just nine wickets away from going past Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne’s World record of maximum Test wickets 708, Bedi said, Murali wa using his action unfairly to get the maximum returns.