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| Saturday, 19 June 2004 |
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A snub that hurts Sa'adi Thawfeeq It is said that the tree that bears the finest of fruits attracts the largest number of stones. So it is in the case of our champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. Ever since he became the new world record holder for the highest number of Test wickets, by surpassing West Indian Courtney Walsh's record of 519 wickets, he has attracted more critics like ants to food. He has become the prime target for his cynics to come out in full force and have their say for whatever its worth. Now that he has decided to snub Australia and not go on the tour his detractors are restless. They are still taking pot shots at him. The latest criticism to come out of Australia is that Muralitharan is ducking the tour because he will be exposed to the most advanced technologically television coverage on cricket which would put him up to more intense scrutiny than he experiences elsewhere. What rubbish. 'The Age' newspaper also goes on to question whether Muralitharan will also keep away from the Champions trophy tournament in England in September where the ICC is planning to trial a new technology designed to examine a spin bowler's action under match conditions. It also questions whether Muralitharan will avoid series that involves ICC match referee Chris Broad whose report on his 'doosra' delivery has been the cause of all the controversies that have taken place in the past three months. The Australians must be smarting inside that their well laid plans to trap Muralitharan and subject him to further humiliation in the eyes of the cricket world have been blown apart by their Prime Minister's inappropriate remarks. Two previous tours to that country and the harassment Muralitharan had been subjected to are enough evidence for him to take a decision of this nature. Muralitharan has to take care of himself. It is his future. He has not blindly made up his mind overnight just like that. But consulted some eminent and trusted people for advice before making up his mind. If anything happens to him are those who are giving him the glad eye now to tour Australia come to his rescue and say and write in his favour? Australia is one country where Muralitharan is not wanted or welcomed. No matter what anyone says now he has made a firm decision not to tour. So be it. There is no point trying to harrass an individual when his mind is not going to be totally focussed on the game and he cannot give his one hundred percent to his team. Why is it only that when Muralitharan decides to stand down from a tour that such loud noises are being made? What about Stuart MacGill's feeble excuse not to tour Zimbabwe on moral grounds and which was hailed by some sections of the Australian press as a 'brave one'? How many times has England's leading batsman Graham Thorpe pulled out of winter tours because of family matters? These are just a few instances of cricketers wanting to be away from the game for various reasons. What excuses were the critics trotting out in favour of these players? Role model Muralitharan's critics say they don't want a chucker at the top of the list and are trying to make life difficult for him so that he will throw in the towel. But unfortunately for them, adversity has only made Muralitharan adamant and determined to fight his detractors and keep going. At the rate that he is taking wickets, not even Warne will be able to catch him. So the next best thing is to stop him playing. Australian Prime Minister John Howard's inappropriate remarks on Muralitharan have left his nation deprived of seeing the world record holder in action at Darwin and Cairns. It is a matter for the organizers at the two venues. They were banking heavily on the rivalry between the two greatest spinners in the game today to boost their ticket sales. But as it appears now apart from Muralitharan, even Warne is uncertain of playing in the Tests having broken his hand in a county game. Their whole world seems to be falling apart. If Howard and his nation wants Warne to become the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. So be it. But what is the image Warne will represent to the world as the game's leading bowler? Does Warne's off field activities make him a role model for all youngsters the world over to follow? Is that what Howard wants? Since being kicked out of the Australian Cricket Academy for ill discipline and sent home in 1990, Warne's murky cricket career has cast a shadow on his own team, which no one talks about. He has been fined by his own cricket board for taking money from bookies, lost his Australian vice captaincy over indiscretions with a nurse, gets banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for taking a banned diuretic and harasses a woman with text messages. The only wrong (if that is the right word to use) Muralitharan has done is that his unusual bowling action has been subjected to the most rigorous of tests through all of which he has come unsullied - a result which his critics still find hard to accept or refuse to accept. The tests on Muralitharan bowling arm has been done in accordance with the ICC's Playing Handbook dealing with bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions. Now they argue that it is impractical and that he should be tested under match conditions. Wonder what else they will come up with in the future? |
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