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| Saturday, 20 March 2004 |
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Murali's epic journey by Quintus de Zylva Muthiah Muralidharan's climb to reach the exclusive 500 CLUB has been a phenomenal effort. The path to reach this height has had more stones and hurdles to clear than a trip from Luckyland to the top of Hantane. Murali's humble beginnings at Kundasale and St. Anthony's College Katugastota have shown all of us that one does not need to be born with a rich cricketing pedigree to finally reach the top and walk with kings. His humility has always overshadowed the milestones that he has passed to gain admission to that most exclusive club. Only three spinners are in the top ten wicket-takers in test match history - Shane Warne, Murali and Anil Kumble. The rest are all fast bowlers with Courtney Walsh leading the pack and other illustrious names such as Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Glen McGrath and Wasim Akram following Shane Warne and Muthiah Muralidharan. The age of dazzling pace and bounce has given way to the guile and tricks of the spinning fingers. Where to from here for Murali? Courtney Walsh's Test wicket record of 519 is now the target to overhaul for both Shane Warne and Murali now that they have gained admission to the 500 Club. Murali however stands out as having taken just 87 test matches to join the club whilst Courtney Walsh played in 132 test matches for his 519 wickets and Shane Warne has played in 108 Test matches to join the 500 Club. Economy rates for Murali of 2.3 and Shane Warne of 2.53 also show the difference between these two great spinners of the ball. As Murali joined the 500 Club the expected barbs from the lesser credited identities in the world of cricket have started to fly. Two minute road-side interviews have suggested that the ICC have not seen the latest addition to his repertoire - Tests in Perth, Melbourne and Hong Kong have shown beyond any doubt that he does not extend his elbow with his off-spin, leg-spin and top-spinner. What then is the hullabaloo about? This "Doosra" is now the centre of attraction as his performance is scrutinised from each and every angle. His bowling with a bent arm is quite legal and his fixed flexion deformity has been documented quite clearly by eminent orthopods the world over. Chris Broad the ICC match referee has said that his attention has not been drawn to any of Murali's deliveries by any of the umpires officiating in the current test series and neither was it of any concern in December when England were in Sri Lanka. To say that the umpires officiating in this and the previous series are afraid of being dumped by the ICC for rocking the boat if they cast doubt on his action, is to cast a slur on their honesty and ability - something Sri Lankans would never subscribe to. Murali's action has only been a matter of speculation when he has bowled down under and it is the same pack that continues to dangle this red-herring across his achievement of gaining admission to the 500 Club. Shane Warne has started each season telling us that he has a new weapon in his armoury just as Murali has done. The fact that he might now be even more difficult to read and play does not make him a cheat. The centuries that have been scored by Damian Martin, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Darren Lehman so far on this tour have shown that Murali can be mastered with patience and concentration. He is after all a world class bowler. Dilshan said the same of Shane Warne when he scored a century in Galle - he said Warnie bowls six different balls each over and every over of his needs great concentration and patience. There is no world wide interest in Murali's repertoire - his action is different and accepted the world over and his praises sung loud and clear. He did after all play for Lancashire when Bobby Simpson was their coach and not even a murmur was heard then about the legitimacy of his action. He did in fact take so many wickets that he would probably have been granted a knighthood had he been eligible for it. But Murali does not thrive on accolades - he just gets on with the next over and does what he knows to do best - bowl. Murali has grown up from humble beginnings and he would never be a part of anything that is illegal. His parents have taught him the basics of living and as his father as said, they would not want him heckled and traumatised in Australia again. Australians would be the great losers if he does decide not to play there again this winter - the rest of the world after all has been his stage and the audience an adoring one. Any suggestion by the "minnows" that umpires are afraid of the "powerful Asian-block" should be consigned to the waste paper basket with haste - cricket after all is a world game and the colour of one's skin should never be the criterion by which you judge a great bowler. Courtney Walsh took 519 wickets! Murali's success in gaining admission to the 500 Club has been a pathway not always smooth and lined with gold. His school and coach have helped him along the way but none more than Arjuna Ranatunga his Captain who stood up for him - unlike the Benaud-Meckiff saga that saw the end of a promising young Aussie fast bowler. Arjuna picked him as a promising youngster and stood by him all the way. Such is the calibre of Sri Lankan mateship. PROUD TO BE A SRI LANKAN is printed on the back of the tea-shirts from Odel's! |
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