Muralitharan's 1000-wicket Haul

MABROOK ‘MACHA’: MUCH–MALIGNED MURALI MARCHES TO MAGNIFICENT 1000
By Akshay A. Kalbag
You can either love him or loathe him (particularly if you are an Australian supporter), but you cannot ignore the ace Sri Lankan off–spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. The spin wizard was no–balled by Australian umpires Ross Emerson and Darrell Hair seven times on a tour to Australia over a decade ago, and is still taunted by the raucous Australian crowds whenever he tours that country. Murali, as he is known, is a tremendous character and a great competitor on the field. He also keeps the Lankan dressing room in good spirits with his infectious sense of humour and toothy grin. The reason for his sunny disposition and positive attitude is the clean chit given to him by the International Cricket Council (ICC), despite his harshest critics labelling his bowling action suspect and calling for the great off–break bowler to be banned from international cricket. The controversy that began Down Under because of his allegedly illegal deliveries (read: throwing) has resurfaced several times, but Murali, who subsquently underwent bio–mechanical tests at an Australian university, has always emerged the winner against all odds, and is a true champion, because when he is at the bowling crease, his performances and records do the talking. Murali has been at the receiving end of the unkindest cut, that is being called a javelin thrower by, of all people, former Indian captain and left–arm spinner Bishen Singh Bedi, another great spinner of yesteryears.
Opposition batsmen, however, wish that the wily Murali, who was born on 17 April 1972, had stuck to his family business (he is the son of a wealthy confectioner from Kandy) rather than dishing out his marvellous off–breaks and unplayable ‘doosras’ relentlessly and with remarkable consistency during an eventful career that has now spanned over thirteen years and had more twists and turns than a mystery novel. The mildest of his critics have termed him ‘freakish’, but the 33–year–old spinner has just become the first (and only) bowler so far to take over 1000 wickets in international cricket. Murali is one of the most interesting and endearing personalities to have graced the ‘gentlemen’s game’, as he has been admired and vilified in equal measure. The legendary Sri Lankan spin king played his hundredth Test against minnows Bangladesh in the first of two Tests at Chittagong recently, taking three wickets for 87 in the first innings and six for 54 in the second. Murali achieved the magical milestone of 1000 international wickets when he had former Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud caught by Tillekaratne Dilshan for 15. His performance in Chittagong has seen him achieve the four–figure mark in terms of wickets, and will also definitely spur him on to even greater heights and glory in the future. In 1999, Muralitharan was named the ‘Wisden Cricketer of the Year’. May Murali’s magical spells continue to bamboozle the batsmen and excite the crowds for a long time to come!
Murali’s greatest rival in spinning a web around batsmen the world over is the legendary Australian leg–spinner Shane Warne. The 36–year–old Warne has retired from the shorter version of the game in an apparent bid to prolong his Test career, so he is probably unlikely to add any more scalps to his tally of 293 wickets in one–day internationals. He, however still needs 48 wickets to join Murali in the exclusive ‘1000–wicket club’ in international cricket.
In conclusion, it is perhaps fair and appropriate to compare Murali’s figures with those of his arch–rival, the Australian leg–spinner Shane Warne. The blond Victorian was the ‘Wisden Cricketer of the Year’ in 1994. Warne was also selected as one of five ‘Wisden Cricketers of the Century’ in 2000.
Tests:
Player:
Matches:
Wickets:
Average:
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
100
593
22.37
Shane Warne (Australia)
135
659
25.15
One–Day Internationals:
Player:
Matches:
Wickets:
Average:
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
270
411
23.05
Shane Warne (Australia)
194
293
25.73
Cricket fans will always cherish this great rivalry between Murali and Warne, who are considered two of the living legends of the game.