Murali predicts more misery for Bangladesh
Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from Bangladesh
CRICKET: Sri Lanka's ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan today predicted
more misery for Bangladesh in the second test as he approaches another
milestone in his illustrious career.
The champion off spinner will go in to the second test starting on
Wednesday in Bogra with just eight wickets short of completing six
hundred wickets in test cricket.
He had already become the first player to claim one thousand wickets
in both test and one day internationals following his match bag of nine
wickets during the first test which Sri Lanka won by eight wickets at
the Divisional Stadium in Chittagong.
The 33 year old said that he never thought of capturing one thousand
wickets when he first launched his career some sixteen years ago.
"I am delighted" he said. "When I played my first test I never
thought I would have all these records. All I wanted was to play a few
games. It is a dream for me to play in one hundred test matches and to
take one thousand international wickets".
Even then Muralitharan expected a tough contest in the second test as
Bangladesh are always capable of making a comeback on their home
grounds. He said that the Lankans cannot underestimate their opponents
at all after winning the first test and expected a better display from
the home side.
Muralitharan commended the performances of the present Bangladesh
team who have made vast strides in international cricket since gaining
test status in 2000.
The Bangladesh under 19 team had the credit of defeating Sri Lanka in
a recent Afro Asian tournament and also went on to win the Plate
championship at the Youth World Cup staged in Colombo.
Muralitharan further said that he needs to plan his future very
carefully and would decide on his retirement after the completion of the
World Cup in the Caribbean next year. He has had sixteen years of hard
cricket and that includes good times, bad times and very difficult
times.
As Bangladesh prepared to meet another tough challenge from the
champion off spinner, coach Dav Whatmore was optimistic about his team's
future.
The former Sri Lankan coach said that playing against a bowler who
had taken nearly six hundred wickets is always a tough task and needs a
lot of courage and determination to succeed.
Whatmore said that Muralitharan is a wicket taking bowler and has the
potential to pick up a wicket every ball he bowls.
DHAKA, Sunday. |