COLOMBO, April 19: Biomechanics experts have concluded Muttiah Muralitharan should be allowed to bowl his doosra even though his action exceeds official guidelines, according to sources who have seen his bowling assessment.

The report said the Sri Lankan's arm straightens by about 10 degrees, five more than allowed by the ICC, when bowling the doosra, a delivery that turns in the opposite direction to his normal off break.

Muralitharan went to the University of Western Australia for tests after his action was reported by match referee Chris Broad during Sri Lanka's Test series against Australia last month.

The 31-year-old bowled in front of 12 cameras with his body strapped in reflective markers so that a computer could track his action. The report was sent to the Sri Lanka board last week and then circulated among members of a bowling review group.

That group are due to meet on Tuesday to finalise their own report which must be sent with video footage to the ICC within six weeks of Broad's original report. Sri Lanka board president Mohan de Silva said after the report arrived he was "confident that Murali will be able to continue bowling the doosra". -Reuters