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| Wednesday, 17 March 2004 |
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Sports | |
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Murali a chip of the old block by Robert Craddock AUSTRALIAN batsmen struggling to read Muthiah Muralidaran should not feel too bad . . . they can't pick him at the Luckyland Biscuit Company either. Staff say they have no idea which way he is going to turn the ball, and they have been watching him closely for all of his cricketing life. Luckyland, located down a quiet back street in the mountain kingdom of Kandy, is where the story of the unique Sri Lanka spinner started, and where it is likely to finish. Had there been no Luckyland there would almost certainly be no Murali. The thriving company owned by his father Sinnasammy Muthiah gave his parents the finance to put their four sons through Kandy's St Anthony's College, where the wiry genius was first drawn to cricket. "I never played cricket," Sinnasammy said through his brother, who acted as an interpreter. "Of my four sons, only two played cricket. I am very proud. His mother is even prouder than I am. He learnt spin bowling himself. No one really coached him. He was coached at St Anthony's College, but not at spin bowling." Muralidaran comes from hardy stock. His grandfather is 104, his grandmother 96. They live just behind Luckyland. Their famous grandson, who has a house adjoining the company, visits them regularly when he comes back to his home town, which is not often. The family all have easy smiles and warm natures and know their way around the business world. Murali's three brothers are all successful businessmen. One lives in London. Luckyland is testimony to the family's business acumen. It started as a tiny operation in 1964 and grew to the point where it is the third biggest biscuit company in Sri Lanka. About 50 local women earn a living packing biscuits off an assembly line in the basement of the two-storey building, which has a dirt front yard that was once the playground for a young sorcerer. The ever-smiling Murali Sr holds no grudge about the traumas his son has experienced in being no-balled by three Australian umpires or heckled by Australian crowds. But he cannot pretend it did not distress the family. Just because he manufactures biscuits did not mean he accepted that was simply the way the cookie crumbled. "It was very upsetting, but Murali is very strong. He doesn't worry about anything. He doesn't care what people say about his bowling," he said. "Our family was very upset when he was no-balled in Australia but the captain of the team, Arjuna Ranatunga, stood up for him, which we thought was great, and so did the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. "The Australians call 'no-ball, no-ball' when he bowls, but he is not worried. He still gets so many wickets and the whole world knows. He has been cleared. I feel God has made his decision." There are no televisions in Luckyland. They catch up with Murali's progress from newspapers the next day. Murali's popularity transcends all boundaries. Even though he was for many years the only Tamil in the national team, rival tribes never held it against him. When he plays a Test in Kandy his father takes a rare break from business to watch him. He is rarely let down. In 11 Tests here, his son has taken 77 wickets at 17 apiece. (Herald Sun) |
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